NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee children needing critical care are facing a devastating loss of medical services because of their immigration status. Families of children enrolled in the Children's Special Services state program were sent a letter giving them until June 30, 2026, to disenroll their child from life-saving care or risk being reported to ICE.
Dr. Laura Andreson says the children affected are among the most vulnerable in the state. Many rely on ongoing medical care, specialized equipment, medications, and therapies to survive, battling conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart defects, seizures, and other serious disabilities. Tennessee is the only state in the U.S. to impose this restriction on its children.
Tennessee Justice Center Executive Director Michele Johnson believes the state is applying a recently enacted law intended for adults, not children—especially since federal law requires that emergency care and life-saving treatment be made available to anyone, regardless of immigration status, insurance, or criminal history.
TJC is urging Tennesseans to call Governor Lee's office. Johnson says, "Any leader that calls themselves a person of faith would never have intended this for happen. Maybe they just didn't understand. We're asking people to call the governor 615-741-2001 and say, 'Surely you did not mean for toddlers to be disconnected from ventilators and for 8 year olds to be denied chemotherapy. Surely you did not mean this. You can stop this.'"
If the State Health Department continues this course of action, TJC says it will file a lawsuit challenging the parts of it that are illegal.
The conversation also touched on Tennessee’s poor public health rankings, placing between 41st and 45th among states for overall health and health outcomes. Life expectancy, maternal mortality, and infant mortality metrics are among the worst in the nation. Contributing factors include healthcare deserts, where residents must travel 60–90 minutes to see a doctor and more than two hours to reach a hospital.
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