2026 TN Governor's race: on Immigration

Robert Vick: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens

A: Agree.

Jerri Green: State funds for lawyers for immigrants facing deportation

Jerri Green will:
• Sign an executive order DAY ONE to end local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE
• Sign an executive order to ban ICE from entering state buildings, and prevent any Governor's appointees or employees from sharing personal identifying information or immigration status with federal immigration agents
• Allocate state funds for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation and to provide know your rights information to immigrant and refugee communities

Misam Abidi: Earned pathway to citizenship for immigrants

A: Support an earned pathway. A nation has both the right and responsibility to secure its borders and enforce its laws. But enforcement should concentrate on trafficking, violence, exploitation, and genuine threats--not on creating fear among peaceful families who have worked, paid taxes, raised children, and contributed to their communities for years. An earned pathway should not be automatic. It should require background checks, no serious criminal history, payment of taxes or lawful obligations, and fulfillment of clearly defined requirements. Children should remain able to attend public schools regardless of status because keeping a child uneducated makes neither Tennessee nor America safer. Law and compassion are not opposites. A confident nation should be capable of maintaining an orderly border while still recognizing human dignity.