Tennessee immigrants fight back fear, sue for rights
"For Enrique Bautista, a turning point came last year at a Franklin driver's license office.
A worker took his Tennessee-issued ID and U.S. government-issued green card and disappeared for 20 minutes. When she came back, it was to say she'd be keeping the documents on suspicion they were fake.
Bautista, a legal permanent resident, was stunned. He'd never been in trouble with the law. He'd raised five children in the United States, working hard here for decades.
But with no ID of any kind, Bautista would be unable to visit family in Mexico for Christmas or even leave the house without fear.
So, last month, he sued the Tennessee Department of Safety and joined the ranks of Tennessee Latinos filing civil rights lawsuits against state and local governments. They're claiming policies and actions are directly aimed at making Tennessee a less attractive place to settle, even for legal immigrants."
JANELL ROSS in the Tennessean.