2018 TN Governor's race: on Immigration


Bill Lee: Benefits for illegal immigrants is the wrong strategy

Q: Support DACA, allowing "Dreamers" who arrived illegally as children, then grew up in the US, to achieve legal status if meet certain conditions?

Karl Dean (D): Yes. Congress should figure out a solution to retain DACA. Favors in-state tuition for DACA recipients: "They grew up here and went to school and church here. They are Tennesseans."

Bill Lee (R): No. "Setting up additional benefits for illegal immigrants is the wrong strategy." Opposes in-state tuition for DACA recipients.

Q: Immigration: Support path to citizenship for America's 11 million illegal immigrants?

Karl Dean (D): Yes. Supports earned path to citizenship.

Bill Lee (R): No.

Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Tennessee Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Karl Dean: Earned path to citizenship; they are Tennesseans

Q: Support DACA, allowing "Dreamers" who arrived illegally as children, then grew up in the US, to achieve legal status if meet certain conditions?

Karl Dean (D): Yes. Congress should figure out a solution to retain DACA. Favors in-state tuition for DACA recipients: "They grew up here and went to school and church here. They are Tennesseans."

Bill Lee (R): No. "Setting up additional benefits for illegal immigrants is the wrong strategy." Opposes in-state tuition for DACA recipients.

Q: Immigration: Support path to citizenship for America's 11 million illegal immigrants?

Karl Dean (D): Yes. Supports earned path to citizenship.

Bill Lee (R): No.

Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Tennessee Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Bill Haslam: College tuition break for in-state undocumented immigrants

The Republicans at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education forum voiced opposition to offering the tuition break at state higher education institutions. "It doesn't seem fair to me that we would offer something in college tuition to an immigrant that was here illegally that we wouldn't offer to an American citizen from Georgia," businessman Bill Lee said.

The push to make that change has come up just short in the Republican-led General Assembly in recent years. Term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has backed the measure, which has wide support in polls.

Former Nashville Democratic Mayor Karl Dean likewise voiced support for the change, and responded directly to Lee's comment about Georgia, drawing a rare round of applause. "They grew up here. They went to school here. They have families here. They have friends here. And they're different than Georgians because they're Tennesseans," Dean said. "They're part of our community."

Source: U.S. News & World Report on 2018 Tennessee governor debate Jan 23, 2018

Karl Dean: Immigrants are part of community; college tuition break ok

The Republicans at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education forum voiced opposition to offering the tuition break at state higher education institutions. "It doesn't seem fair to me that we would offer something in college tuition to an immigrant that was here illegally that we wouldn't offer to an American citizen from Georgia," businessman Bill Lee said.

The push to make that change has come up just short in the Republican-led General Assembly in recent years. Term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has backed the measure, which has wide support in polls.

Former Nashville Democratic Mayor Karl Dean likewise voiced support for the change, and responded directly to Lee's comment about Georgia, drawing a rare round of applause. "They grew up here. They went to school here. They have families here. They have friends here. And they're different than Georgians because they're Tennesseans," Dean said. "They're part of our community."

Source: U.S. News & World Report on 2018 Tennessee governor debate Jan 23, 2018

  • The above quotations are from 2018 Tennessee Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bill Haslam on Immigration.
  • Click here for more quotes by Mark Green on Immigration.
Candidates and political leaders on Immigration:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Mar 08, 2019