But Trump adviser, Stephen Miller, has a vision for states working in coordination with federal immigration officials, and he’s attempting to test it out in Tennessee. Confidentiality extends to records for grant programs administered by the department, preventing watchdogs from examining what local law enforcement agencies do with federal grant money for immigration enforcement. If someone’s immigration status cannot be verified, it requires the agency to refer the contact to ICE and Tennessee’s centralized immigration enforcement division. Critically, the proposal would criminalize the use of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) by an operator without lawful immigration status. The legislation sets up the prospect of Tennessee state troopers checking the immigration status of out-of-state drivers passing through the state.

Source: The Guardian February 04, 2026 19:16 UTC