Image Credit: TIRRC & Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) has sued the state over a new policy change stemming from an immigration-related law taking effect earlier this year which has caused hundreds of immigrants to be denied driver’s licenses or license renewals. A temporary restraining order on the law has been issued.
TIRRC, several other legal organizations, and six immigrants who are or will potentially be impacted by the changes sought an immediate injunction to temporarily block the state from enforcing a law that revises the rules surrounding Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) and federal work permits as sufficient proof of legal status.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) has maintained that the law “requires applicants for a temporary driver license to provide proof of a specified period of authorized stay in the United States. DACA is a form of deferred action and does not itself confer lawful immigration status according to the Federal Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Division.”
Likewise, DSHS is stating that employment authorization documents do not provide “sufficient information to verify an applicant’s lawful status and specified period of authorized stay.”
Under the new requirements, applicants must provide a valid visa, an I-94, an I-94W, or temporary green card, a shift which has left some immigrants who have been able to obtain Tennessee driver’s licenses for years or decades to be denied renewals.
Besides a temporary stay, the legal challenge, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court, is also asking that the rules be declared invalid because the state did not wait 90 days to implement the change after announcing it and the public did not have the opportunity to give input.
Peter McGraw, legal deputy director of the National Immigration Law Center, said, “Tennessee’s denial of driver’s licenses to immigrants is unlawful and infringes on Tennesseans’ right to have a say in matters affecting their communities. [The state] issued its new driver’s license policies without first seeking community input or approval, and a state agency must consult the public before implementing extreme policies that affect all of us. Tennesseans should be able to drive safely and freely, and we look forward to putting driver’s licenses back in the hands of people who depend on them.”
TIRRC senior legal strategy director Spring Miller added, “Regardless of where they were born, Tennesseans rely on the ability to order to work, care for their families, and access the basic needs of life- groceries, medical appointments, their children’s education. The plaintiffs in this action, like so many others across the state, have found their lives upended by the state’s abrupt rule change, which was implemented without warning or explanation. This is why we are taking legal action. All Tennesseans expect to be treated fairly before the law and expect their own government to follow it too.”
On Monday, a Nashville judge, Chancellor Russell Perkins, issued a temporary restraining order on the law and set an initial hearing for the case for November 14th.
Last week, Gov. Lee said he had “just become aware” of the rule change, despite being the driver behind the legislation that created the change, and would be seeking further information to determine if the law was creating “unintended consequences.”
TIRRC and other pro-illegal alien advocacy organizations received nearly $1.5 million through city grants in Nashville’s city budget this year, meaning Tennessee taxpayers are in essence helping to fund both the TIRRC’s lawsuit and the state’s defense against it.
Sources:
WCYB.
WPLN.
WSMV.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
