A measure proposed by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen that would prohibit some legal immigrants and all undocumented immigrants from obtaining Tennessee driver’s licenses is gaining bipartisan support.  The bill is opposed by two legislative groups: -those who want even tighter restrictions for immigrants and those who want to preserve immigrants’ right to have a driver’s license.

The measure would allow legal nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants obtain a certificate of driving.  The certificate would be used only for driving and to obtain insurance.  The certificate would not be used as official government identification and would expire at the same time an immigrant’s papers expired.

Legal immigrants permanently in the US would still be able to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license.

Under Tennessee state law, anyone aged 16 and up who can prove Tennessee residency is eligible to receive a driver’s license.  This has resulted in 58,000 driver’s licenses being issued to individuals without Social Security numbers, according to Tennessee Department of Safety estimates.  Many of these individuals are assumed to be undocumented immigrants.

Critics of the bill worry that non-immigrants with driver’s certificates will be assumed to be illegal by law enforcement authorities who do not understand that only some of those in possession of driver’s certificates are actually out of status.

Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), who is introducing the governor’s bill in the state Senate, says that the bill addresses national security concerns because virtually anyone can now obtain a Tennessee driver’s license.

The bill’s advocates point to a recent raid conducted by immigration officials that resulted in the arrests of 25 undocumented immigrants who told officials that they came to Tennessee solely to get driver’s licenses.

Immigrant advocates respond by reminding public officials that current rules encourage undocumented immigrants to take responsibility for learning to drive safely and that lives are being saved as a result. Any measures that discourage people from seeking to be tested and licensed will only make the public less safe.