Under Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s budget proposal, the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) would receive a $60,000 grant through the Metro Nashville Health Department.
On Tuesday, TJC was revealed by The Tennessee Lookout to have urged the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) to drop a new directive regarding the implementation of House Bill 1710, which passed earlier this year, and will require local government agencies to confirm the lawful presence or citizenship status of those applying for public benefits and report potential violations of benefits-verification requirements. The law takes effect on July 1.
According to The Lookout, TDH plans to direct local health departments to confirm the citizenship or lawful presence of those who apply for, or are already enrolled in, Children’s Special Services (CSS), Tennessee’s state-administered program for Title V of the Social Security Act, which aims to improve the public health system for children with special healthcare needs.
The letter from Brant Harrell, the legal director of the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit public advocacy and law firm, specifically claimed that TDH intends to direct local health departments that those children who are enrolled without the proper citizenship or lawful-presence status “will be reported to federal authorities if the children receive care through CSS.”
Harrell and TJC claimed in their letter that the directive TDH is reportedly planning to announce is procedurally invalid because it did not go through proper rulemaking, incorrectly applies the new statute to children under 18, and attempts to preempt federal law, citing the funding source originating in the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant.
The immigration-related advocacy from TJC, first reported less than two weeks before Metro Council will vote on whether to pass O’Connell’s budget with $60,000 included for the nonprofit, comes amid scrutiny from state and federal officials over his proposed grants for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), which both serve illegal aliens.
While a spokesman for the mayor’s office told The Tennessee Star last week that the funding proposed for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 will not go toward attorneys for illegal aliens, the Metropolitan Clerk of Nashville told The Star on Monday that the spending represents a continuation of the terms included within the 2022-2026 contracts between Metro and the organizations.
The current contracts, which are set to expire on June 30, saw TIRRC and TNJFON receive a combined $3.7 million in Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to establish legal programs to support immigrants in Tennessee, including those seeking protection from deportation or assistance with immigration cases.
TIRRC and TNJFON would receive about $1.5 million combined under the proposed budget.
O’Connell’s proposal also includes a $100,000 grant for Alignment Nashville, a nonprofit that already has a $1.5 million agreement with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Olivia Hill.
