News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Tennessee Attorney General backs Trump’s birthright citizenship ban

Published

6 months ago

March 24, 2025

tennesseelookout.com – Sam Stockard – 2025-03-24 11:22:00

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
March 24, 2025

State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is supporting President Donald Trump’s order prohibiting birthright citizenship for children born to immigrants without permanent legal status after Feb. 19.

The attorney general filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court last week in support of Trump’s move to deny citizenship to those children and forbid U.S. agencies from issuing citizenship documents to them. The legal brief says courts that issued national injunctions against the Trump order should instead be confined to specific cases and not allowed to make sweeping orders.

“The American people are the ultimate source of authority and legitimacy for every branch of our government, and every court interpreting the Constitution must therefore adhere to the understanding of the voters who adopted the constitutional language,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “Undermining the sovereignty of the American people through judicial overreach threatens to alienate the people from our constitutional system and thereby cause grievous harm to liberty and public order.”

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court last week to let the birthright citizenship restrictions take partial effect while the matter is in court after district judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington blocked his order nationwide. Three federal appeals courts turned down Trump’s requests.

Skrmetti’s release says the influx of more than 9 million immigrants without permanent legal status in recent years was caused in part by an “expansive interpretation” of the nation’s Citizenship Clause, which is inconsistent with the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868 to deal with citizenship rights and equal protection under the law, mainly for former slaves.

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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Mobile opioid addiction treatment in Tennessee requires workarounds, for now

Published

19 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Staff Editor

wpln.org – Blake Farmer – 2025-09-15 04:27:00

SUMMARY: Belmont University is launching two mobile units funded by $6.4 million in opioid settlement money to provide harm reduction and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction, focusing on transient and unhoused populations. MAT, which uses drugs like buprenorphine (Suboxone), eases withdrawal symptoms and lowers overdose risk but can’t be dispensed outside clinics under Tennessee law. The mobile teams offer wound care, primary care, and mental health services, connecting patients to brick-and-mortar clinics for treatment and transportation. Security concerns also limit on-site dispensing. Similar mobile MAT efforts in Tennessee and Rhode Island highlight regulatory and community challenges.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

STUDY: 14% of Tennesseans feel lonely

Published

1 day ago

September 14, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wkrn.com – Pat O’Donnell – 2025-09-14 13:40:00

SUMMARY: A study by mental health provider A Mission For Michael found that 14% of Tennesseans feel lonely, with 4.6% (261,451 people) reporting they are “always lonely.” The highest chronic loneliness rates are in Haywood and Lewis counties (5.5%), while Williamson and Hamilton counties have the lowest (4.4%). Loneliness varies across Tennessee, and persistent loneliness can severely impact well-being. Executive Director Anand Mehta emphasized the importance of professional support to help individuals cope and connect. Nationally, Tennessee ranks low in loneliness compared to Mississippi (71%) and other states. The study used surveys and county health data for comprehensive analysis.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Immigrant detainees begin arriving at former prison in rural Tennessee town

Published

2 days ago

September 14, 2025

Staff Editor

wpln.org – Tony Gonzalez – 2025-09-14 04:18:00

SUMMARY: Immigrant detainees have begun arriving at the West Tennessee Detention Facility in Mason, a former prison converted into an ICE detention center operated by CoreCivic. The facility reopened after Mason officials approved agreements with ICE and CoreCivic despite public opposition. The prison, closed in 2021 under a Biden administration order, was reopened following Trump’s reversal to support mass deportations. CoreCivic claims the center will create nearly 240 jobs and generate significant tax revenue for Mason, a financially struggling majority-Black town. However, concerns persist over detainee mistreatment, with CoreCivic facing fines and lawsuits related to abuse and understaffing at Tennessee prisons.

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