The measures, passed by state lawmakers this spring, withhold state funding from local law enforcement agencies that do not enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also require driving tests to be given only in English and proof of U.S. citizenship for access to certain public benefits, including food assistance and care at public hospitals.

Green said she would have vetoed the package, arguing it targets immigrants and diverts state resources from schools, roads and health care. She opposes spending Tennessee tax dollars on federal immigration enforcement and said people living and working in the state without legal status should not be deported if they have committed no other crime. She called for federal immigration reform rather than state-led enforcement.

Blackburn said she would have signed the laws and supports local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, citizenship checks for public benefits and English-only driving tests. She said the state should work with federal authorities and that people in the country unlawfully should be deported. On the question of whether Tennessee should pay to reunite U.S.-citizen children with deported parents or keep them in foster care, Blackburn did not respond.

Pinkston said she supports secure borders and cooperation with federal authorities on violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking, but would not have signed the laws as written. She argued that requiring local agencies to assist ICE can undermine trust between law enforcement and communities, while adding costs and administrative burdens for counties. She also said deportations should not be prioritized for families contributing to the state and called for a federal path to citizenship.

Hatley said he would have signed the laws and favors cooperation between local police and federal immigration officials. He argued that enforcement costs should be reimbursed by the federal government. While he supports a federal process for long-term residents who pay taxes and have assimilated to gain legal status, he said a governor’s responsibility is to enforce current law.

The candidates also addressed the potential effect of deportations on children who are U.S. citizens. Green said the state should focus on keeping families together. Pinkston said families should be able to designate a trusted guardian and that Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services should work with consulates to reunite children with parents when families choose that option. She said foster care should be a last resort.

Hatley said parents should generally be able to take their children or choose a caregiver, but that the state should provide foster care if no suitable adult is available. He said Tennessee should seek federal reimbursement for those costs.

The candidates’ responses highlight a central dispute in the governor’s race: whether Tennessee should use state and local resources to carry out federal immigration policy, and how enforcement should be balanced against family stability, public services and local law enforcement capacity.