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Immigrant rights advocates in Tennessee say some Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are being denied driver license renewals at state Driver Services Centers, following what they describe as abrupt, unannounced changes to eligibility rules.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) says it is investigating the reports with local and national partners and is pressing the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security for transparency on the policy shift. The group warns that losing license access could prevent affected residents from working, attending church, or otherwise moving safely through daily life, and it is collecting firsthand accounts via a community resource line and an upcoming briefing call.

The state department responded that Tennessee law requires applicants to prove a specified period of authorized stay, and that DACA status and employment authorization alone do not meet that standard, meaning some previously licensed recipients may now be ineligible. The dispute follows a broader package of immigration enforcement legislation passed earlier this year by Tennessee's Republican-led legislature, including an English-only driver test requirement and expanded 287(g) enforcement agreements.