Tennessee state lawmakers introduced a bill to allow school districts and law enforcement agencies to deny enrollment to illegal migrant students. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
"This legislation says, if you are not able to prove your lawful residence here, a local LEA may charge you tuition for attendance, which addresses the physical nature of this legislation. This is not about denying education to those students," Watson said, according to the outlet.
But the bill contradicts the current law affirmed by the 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe, which ruled that states provide funding for any student seeking a public education, regardless of their immigration status.
Republican Sen. Bo Watson, who sponsored the bill, said the proposal aims to save the state money. (iStock)
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Faith also took issue with the option for schools to charge tuition, citing that Tennessee's tax structure is sales-tax-based.
"Because of that, they're paying the same amount of taxes that go towards the public education system that somebody who is in legal status does," she said.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tennessee-bill-allows-schools-deny-enrollment-illegal-migrants-proposal-panned-unconstitutional