Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Despite promoting and signing off on legislation that paved the way for its implementation, Gov. Lee said he is seeking additional information about a rule change stemming from a new state law that has resulted in Tennessee immigrants including DACA recipients and others with legal work authorization to be denied driver’s license renewals.
HB6001, which created the state’s Department of Safety and Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIED), was signed by Gov. Lee in February of 2025 though it did not take effect until Jan. 1 of this year.
One of its many aspects also implemented changes to temporary license requirements, including which documents may count as proof of citizenship or legal authorization to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license or ID.
Until the change, work permits had been generally accepted as sufficient proof an individual is authorized to be in the country, but that is apparently not the case anymore.
Though the legislation itself does not specifically list acceptable or unacceptable documents of proof, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) is no longer accepting DACA status or a federal work permit on their own as enough verification of an applicant’s lawful status and specified period of authorized stay as provided in the state and federal law.
This interpretation has reportedly caused hundreds of Tennessee DACA recipients and other permitted immigrants to be denied renewals of their temporary driver’s licenses and prompted immigrant rights organizations to demand clarification about DSHS’ application of the law.
When questioned by reporters about the rule change last week, Gov. Lee said he had “just become aware” and was trying to further understand “what impact it actually does have and are there changes we need to make” or if there were “unintended consequences potentially.”
Gov. Lee publicly championed HB6001 as it was specifically part of his agenda for the 2025 special legislative session that also included bills that created the school voucher system and provided disaster relief after Hurricane Helene.
Upon the special session’s conclusion, Lee released a statement celebrating “the successful passage of his full agenda,” explicitly implying the bill was developed, studied, amended, and passed with his full knowledge and support, thereby raising questions about why he would now claim to just be finding out about its implications.
The bill also stipulates that the governor appoints the CIED’s chief executive, meaning Lee had the sole discretion to install an individual who should have understood how HB6001 and any other immigration-related legislation would impact the department and facilitated any necessary discussions or answered any questions the governor may have had.
Democrats and the immigrant rights groups have voiced vehement disagreement with the new rule change as they claim the inability to obtain driver’s licenses will keep these immigrants from functioning in daily life.
Rep. John Ray Clemmons, chairman of the house Democrat Caucus, said these license denials would be “devastating” to “tens of thousands” of immigrant families in Tennessee and to the local economy, urging local businesses to advocate for those impacted by the changes.
“These are individuals who are fully complying with the letter of the law, positively contributing to our communities and paying taxes just like everyone else,” Clemmons said in a statement. “It would appear that our state is attempting to put these legal residents in a situation where they either drive to work, risk getting cited and jeopardize their legal status or they stay home, get terminated by their employer and contribute little to nothing to our economy while their family struggles to find food and keep a roof over their head.”
Driving without a license is now a misdemeanor in Tennessee, and this policy has directly affected illegal immigrants as many who are charged with this offense have later had ICE detainers lodged against them and been taken into federal custody.
If DSHS is no longer viewing DACA recipients and work permitted immigrants as having full legal status to be in Tennessee, the inability to obtain or renew a driver’s license could ultimately put them in the deportation pipeline if they choose to still drive and are pulled over.
Gov. Lee did not make any further statements about the rule change beyond those probing for more information, leaving many unresolved questions about if he will apply pressure to CIED and DSHS to revert to the previous interpretation of the law.
Sources:
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.
