Rep. Gabby Salinas (D-Memphis) introduced House Bill 1482 to bar ICE from K-12 school campuses statewide and to require notification to staff, students and campus security about their rights when approached by federal agents unless agents give prior notice or meet set limits. The proposal was partly motivated by the recent fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good during an ICE enforcement action and follows the Trump administration's removal of a policy that discouraged arrests at "sensitive locations." The bill faces long odds in Tennessee's Republican-controlled legislature, where GOP leaders plan to advance immigration enforcement measures.
Tennessee Democrat Files Bill To Bar ICE From K-12 Campuses Statewide
Tennessee Republicans have reportedly met with Trump administration officials to advance immigration enforcement priorities.
Democratic state Rep. Gabby Salinas of Memphis has introduced House Bill 1482, a measure that would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering K-12 school campuses across Tennessee and require notification to staff, students and campus security about their rights when approached by federal agents unless agents provide prior notice or comply with specified limits.
What the Bill Would Do
House Bill 1482 aims to restrict certain civil immigration enforcement activities on public properties considered "sensitive," including schools and religious institutions. Under the proposal, schools would be off-limits to routine ICE enforcement actions unless the agency gives advance notice or abides by strict conditions spelled out in the bill.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has characterized the fatal shooting of the Minneapolis woman by federal agents as an "act of domestic terrorism," alleging the driver had been "stalking, impeding and blocking" ICE officers for hours leading up to the incident.
Context and Motivation
Salinas said the proposal was driven in part by concerns about student safety following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. The incident has prompted national debate over ICE tactics and the risks of enforcement operations in public spaces.
"Here in Tennessee we are asking teachers to teach under almost war-like conditions," Salinas told Fox News Digital. "What’s happening in other cities potentially can happen here in Memphis, and I don't want us to lose a life or have these adverse events in schools where kids are supposed to be learning."
Political Outlook
Passage of the bill faces significant obstacles: Republicans hold a supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly, and state GOP leaders have signaled plans to introduce and pass a slate of bills to strengthen cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Reporting also indicates Tennessee Republican leaders have engaged with Trump administration officials on immigration priorities, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton has discussed policy ideas with national figures involved in deportation policy design.
Renee Nicole Good moments before she was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis.
Broader National Debate
The proposal comes after the Trump administration rescinded a longstanding policy that had discouraged ICE from making arrests at certain "sensitive locations" such as schools, places of worship and hospitals. The change reopened debate about how and where civil immigration enforcement should take place and has led some political leaders to characterize enforcement incidents in strongly worded terms.
Salinas said the bill is the beginning of her legislative agenda this session and emphasized she intends to press the measure despite the political headwinds. Supporters view the bill as a way to protect students and maintain safe learning environments; opponents argue it could hinder enforcement of federal immigration law and impede cooperation between state and federal authorities.
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