"If someone is here illegally, they are not the responsibility of Tennesseans to pay for their education. They are here illegally, so you need to at least be able to ask that question," Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said.

Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly are trying to move forward with a bill to allow schools to deny enrollment for undocumented students.That

A Tennessee bill that would require public schools to verify the citizenship status of students and give districts the option to charge unauthorized immigrants tuition has narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle.

Tennessee schools could refuse to teach students without legal status, or charge their families tuition, under a bill advancing in the statehouse.

The GOP bill sponsors intend to challenge longstanding federal legal precedent protecting the right to a public education for all children in the U.S.

The bill requires families to provide documentation that the student is a citizen of the U.S., in the process of obtaining citizenship or holds a legal immigration or visa status.