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Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Ahead of the January 2027 legislative session, a Republican Senator has filed a bill which would address recent challenges by immigrants in Tennessee in obtaining or renewing drivers’ licenses prompted by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (DSHS) interpretation of a law which no longer views Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) status or federal work permits as sufficient proof of legal status.
The complaints began surfacing over the past couple weeks as many DACA recipients and others with legal work authorizations found themselves unable to renew their temporary drivers’ licenses. This prompted immigration advocacy organizations like the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) to question DSHS’ enforcement of a state law that made changes to which documents are acceptable as proof of legal authorization.
Under the new rule change, which was part of an immigration-related bill championed by Gov. Bill Lee as part of his legislative agenda in 2025, work permits and DACA status by themselves are no longer sufficient verification of an applicant’s lawful status and specified period of authorized stay as provided in the state law, which DSHS also says is consistent with federal law.
Applicants must now provide a valid visa, I-94, I-94W, or temporary green card, which has left some immigrants who have been able to obtain Tennessee driver’s licenses for years or decades to be denied renewals. Additionally, as driving without a license is now a misdemeanor in the state, immigrant advocates have argued this puts these individuals at greater risk of ending up in the deportation pipeline as many illegal aliens booked on this charge have later had ICE detainers lodged and been turned over to federal custody.
Gov. Lee claimed ignorance of “unintended consequences” and said his team would be reviewing the law to see if any changes needed to be made. That call is apparently being answered by Sen. Becky Massey (R-Knoxville-District 6) through SB0001.
The bill would preserve the language requiring applicants to be “lawful permanent residents of the United States” or “persons whose presence in the United States has been authorized by the federal government for a specific purpose and for a specified period of authorized stay,” but specifically adds “persons who are authorized by the federal government to work in the United States” as those eligible to receive a “temporary driver license, temporary intermediate driver license, temporary photo identification license, or temporary learner permit.”
That language change would theoretically alleviate the issues experienced by the permitted immigrants in obtaining their licenses and allow them to resume daily activities like pursuing education and work opportunities.
SB0001 may have also partly come in response to TIRRC’s lawsuit against the state asking the court for a temporary injunction and to declare the rules invalid because they claim 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.
Last week, a Nashville judge granted the temporary restraining order and set an initial hearing for the case for Nov. 14, meaning the state must revert to the old policy which allows work permits as sufficient proof until the issue is settled.
Depending on how quickly the case progresses, Massey’s legislation could end up being retroactive to align with a judge’s ruling on the law should TIRRC prevail or may be a bid to get the lawsuit dropped if the state could argue it is already in the process of clarifying the requirements and reverting to the previous standards.
Notably, Massey has not been friendly to conservative legislation or policies, especially those dealing with illegal immigration, so her motivations behind this bill are questionable.
Her voting record shows she has consistently refused to support parental rights and medical freedom while voting in favor of corporate welfare, weaker abortion laws, and helping to craft gun control legislation.
During the 2026 legislative session, Massey voted against a bill requiring employers to verify U.S. citizenship, worked to severely dilute legislation requiring driver’s license tests to be administered in English only, and sponsored a resolution honoring National Arab American Heritage Month which chastised those who held “harmful stereotyping and shared misconceptions by other ethnic groups” toward Arab cultures.
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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.
