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Immigration advocates sue Tennessee over new driver’s license restrictions – FOX 17 News

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Tennessee Immigration Lawsuit Targets Driver’s License Restrictions

Immigration advocates have filed a federal-level legal challenge against Tennessee, arguing that a recent state policy change unfairly strips temporary driver’s licenses from non-U.S. citizens who hold legal authorization to live and work in the country, fox17.com reported. The lawsuit centers on shifts enacted by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which critics say threatens to strand thousands of long-term residents without a lawful means to drive.

Under the previous regulatory framework, the state accepted standard federal employment authorization documents and work permits as valid proof of legal presence. The revised guidelines narrow that acceptance down to a specific subset of paperwork, restricting eligibility strictly to individuals possessing a valid visa, an I-94, an I-94W, or a temporary green card. Consequently, residents who have maintained valid Tennessee driver’s licenses for years, and in some cases decades, find themselves abruptly turned away at renewal counters.

Documentation Shifts Affecting Long-Term Residents

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition led the legal filing, asserting that the state’s administrative pivot effectively disregards active federal status. Jazmin Ramirez, advocacy director for the coalition, emphasized the human toll during a virtual press conference detailing the restrictions.

Under its new rule, TDOS will only issue driver’s licenses to certain non-citizens who present a valid visa, an I-94 or an I-94W or somebody with a temporary green card. As a result, people who have held driver’s license for years or even decades are now being turned away and denied renewals for the first time.

Immigration attorney Kathleen Martinez echoed those concerns, pointing out the legal discrepancy in how the state treats federal work authorization. In a public statement shared on social media, Martinez stated that officials are treating everyone holding a work permit as if they lack an authorized stay.

The policy changes carry immediate practical repercussions for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and other workers who maintain federal work authorization but do not receive the precise immigration forms now mandated by Tennessee. One anonymous worker described traveling an hour away to employment at a Level 1 trauma center, only to find themselves unable to report to work because the loss of their driving privileges left them without transportation.

Challenging State Administrative Authority

Beyond the documentation disputes, the lawsuit questions whether state officials adhered to proper legal procedures when enacting the changes. Attorneys representing the advocates contend that the Department of Safety and Homeland Security overstepped its jurisdiction by altering accepted federal documents without providing the public an adequate opportunity to submit comments before implementation.

The regulatory shift follows broader, sweeping immigration legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this year. State officials have interpreted those legislative measures as granting the department wider latitude to tighten licensing requirements. Advocates maintain, however, that the state cannot invoke the new law to bypass federal authorizations that grant individuals the legal right to reside and work within the United States.

The legal action asks the court to intervene and halt the enforcement of the revised licensing requirements. When contacted for comment regarding the ongoing litigation, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security stated that it does not comment on pending legal matters.

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Immigration activists sue Tennessee over new rule denying driver’s licenses to legal non-U.S. cit…

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