Joey Garrison

USA Today Network - Tennessee

President Barack Obama is visiting Nashville next week to discuss his recent executive actions on immigration in a stop that will shine a spotlight on one of the nation's fastest-growing immigrant populations.

The president, who will make his second trip to Davidson County in less than a year, will deliver his remarks Tuesday at Casa Azafran, an immigrant community center on Nolensville Pike that opened two years ago.

His visit comes two weeks after he issued an executive order to provide temporary legal status and work permits to more than 5 million immigrants who are in this country illegally. Seventeen states have joined together in a federal lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of Obama's action, but Tennessee is not among them.

"With the number of foreign-born residents more than doubling over the past decade, Nashville has actively worked to welcome new Americans," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. "Through community-based programs and government initiatives, the city is empowering and engaging New American community leaders. And the city's actions are paying off."

In January, Obama visited Nashville's McGavock High School, where he gave a speech touting Metro Nashville Public Schools' Academies program in its high schools.

This time, a larger national audience probably will be watching after Obama announced plans last month to use the power of the Oval Office to overhaul what he's called a broken immigration system. According to the White House, the president will also use his Nashville speech to urge Congress to pass a comprehensive bill on immigration.

"It's always an honor and a thrill when a sitting president visits Nashville," Nashville Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said. "I welcome President Obama to our vibrant, thriving and diverse city. Nashville is the perfect setting for his remarks."

But while immigrant advocates have cheered Obama's decision, Republicans have accused Obama of overstepping his executive powers. And Thursday, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill declaring his actions "null and void and without legal effect."

"President Obama continues to relentlessly assault the Constitution and American workers," Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Williamson County said. "I hope he plans on explaining to Tennesseans why they will now have to compete for jobs with illegal aliens to whom he is unilaterally granting work permits."

Foreign-born population soars

An estimated 124,000 immigrants are living in Tennessee illegally, with some 50,000 residing in Davidson County. Under Obama's plan, up to half of Tennessee's illegal immigrants would qualify for legal status, many of them because they are parents to children who were either born in the United States or have a green card.

Nashville's foreign-born population is nearing 12 percent, about double from a decade ago and fueling the city's overall population growth during that span. Thirty percent of Metro's public school students reside in homes where English is not the primary language, and 140 languages are spoken across the district.

Though the majority of Nashville's immigrants are Hispanic, the city has welcomed large Kurdish, Somali and Burmese refugee groups as well.

In recent months, Mayor Karl Dean and others have led a series of initiatives and programs aimed at the city's immigrants.

In September, Dean opened an Office of New Americans, which is tasked with involving immigrants in local government, expanding economic and educational opportunities and creating partnerships between Metro and community organizations. A month earlier, Dean signed an agreement with the U.S. Citizen and Immigrant Services to turn five libraries and four community centers in Nashville into information hubs for legal permanent residents interested in gaining citizenship.

Dean and Metro schools also have created a Parent Ambassadors program to connect immigrant families based on their shared languages so that newcomers have guidance navigating the school system.

Those announcements came after Dean, joined by three Nashville immigrant activists, gave a speech at the White House National Convening on Immigrant and Refugee Integration in July.

"We are honored that President Obama has chosen our city as a place to talk about the nation's immigration system," Dean said. "Nashville continues to lead the way as a welcoming and open city to immigrants with the recent opening of the Mayor's Office of New Americans, one of the first of its kind in the South.

"This visit will be a great opportunity for President Obama to see firsthand Nashville's commitment to making it easier for immigrants to adapt to living in our community, be successful here and add to the city's economic vitality."

Staff writers Mary Troyan and Tony Gonzalez contributed to this report. Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.