PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2026
TIRRC Press: media@tnimmigrant.org
Advocates and Community Members Denied Driver's Licenses in Tennessee Shared their Stories in Virtual Press Conference
NASHVILLE, TN - Earlier today on a virtual press call, affected community members shared their stories about the negative impact of the changes that the Tennessee Department of Safety made to those able to acquire a driver’s license in Tennessee.
In recent weeks, a group of Tennessee immigrant community members with lawful presence in the US, including DACA recipients, have been denied application and renewals for drivers’ licenses. For many years, the Tennessee Department of Safety issued driver’s licenses to any Tennessean who could show they had permission from the federal government to be in the country.
During the press conference Jazmin Ramirez, Advocacy Director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, spoke saying, “Regardless of where we were born, our immigration status, or how we’ve come to call this state our home—we all deserve to be able to drive safely in our communities to get to work, school, church, or anywhere we need to go. But it’s clear that the State of Tennessee, through the Department of Safety, has changed the rules overnight. They have taken away the freedom to have a driver's license from so many individuals in our community who keep this state and our cities running. This is a clear and cruel attack on all of us, meant to divide us based on where we are from or how long we have lived here.”
Community members using pseudonyms shared their stories. LR*, a nurse and East Tennessee resident of over 20 years said, “Currently, I am employed at a level 1 trauma center, but cannot show up to work because I am without a license and live an hour away. Due to living in a rural area, there is no access to public transport and taking an Uber would be costly for 3-4 round trips per week.” He shared the difficulties he experienced going to multiple DMVs trying to renew his license and ended saying, “After all this, I sort of lost hope and am considering leaving TN, the only place I have known as home. I hate the idea of having to uproot my entire life due to being gate kept from a piece of plastic, just to survive. I am holding out hope that change can be made. If I have no other choice then I will relocate and put my knowledge and skills to use in a new place.”
A mother and behavioral therapist using the pseudonym Ale*, shared her story in Spanish that was translated on call. “I am a hardworking woman. I work providing therapy to neurodivergent children in their homes and schools, especially children on the autism spectrum. Yet, ironically, I can no longer guarantee my own child access to therapeutic care. My youngest child has ADHD and ODD. Now, because I am unable to drive, I have lost my job. My husband has had to take on double shifts, and we have been unable to take our son to the therapies that are essential and necessary for him, or to his scheduled appointment with his neurologist.” Ale also was concerned that their only viable option now that she is not able to work and her husband is taking double shifts is to separate their family, so she can live and work in another state. She ended saying, “Because for many people, this may simply be a driver's license. For us, it represents our stability, our livelihood, and our children's future.”
A mom and resident of Tennessee for 24 years using the pseudonym Noemi* shared that her two sons are college graduates who have been DACA recipients for over ten years. Noemi shared, “This affects my entire family, and it will also affect the people surrounding them, for example one of my sons is a bilingual behavioral therapist who works with Autistic children, without a drivers license he won’t be able to drive to his clients houses or schools, which means that he cannot longer provide services for children who are vulnerable, it is very difficult for a family with a child on the spectrum to find someone who can communicate, and has reliable transportation to provide services in different settings [...] We just don’t understand why the federal government granted us the ability to work but the state is denying us the right to drive.”
A personal statement was also read from someone in the community named M*. Her statement included sharing that her high school son was unable to get his drivers license as well. “For our family, driving is a necessity. Public transportation in our area is limited, and driving is essential for us to get to work, access healthcare, attend church and do life in general. Furthermore, a young adult needs a valid state ID to participate in everyday life, such as opening a bank account, starting a job, enrolling in classes, and proving their identity. Without it, these basic milestones become exceptionally difficult or impossible. “My son works hard, gets good grades, plays on his school's football team, and holds a part-time job to contribute to the community. It is disheartening to watch him be held back from gaining independence, not due to his own actions, but because of changing regulations.”
Background:
One DACA Recipient Explains How a Driver’s License Rule Change Will Upend Her Life: Nashville Banner, 10/26/26
Tennessee blocks driver's licenses for Dreamers, other immigrants with US work permits: TN Lookout, 10/27/26
Questions grow over Tennessee driver's license renewals for immigrants with legal status: News Channel 5, 10/12/26
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About Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition
Since its founding in 2003, the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) has grown into a model for immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and ethnicities. It is nationally recognized for multiethnic, multigenerational coalition building, effective legislative advocacy, and award-winning communications initiatives. Learn more at www.tnimmigrant.org
