Anita Wadhwani

Anita Wadhwani

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Anita Wadhwani is a senior reporter for The Tennessee Lookout. The Tennessee AP Broadcasters and Media (TAPME) named her Journalist of the Year in 2019 as well as giving her the Malcolm Law Award for Investigative Journalism. Wadhwani is formerly an investigative reporter with The Tennessean who focused on the impact of public policies on the people and place across Tennessee. She is a graduate of Columbia University in New York and the University of California at Berkeley School of Journalism. Wadhwani lives in Nashville with her partner and two children.

Court extends order requiring Tennessee to issue driver’s licenses to Dreamers, other immigrants
Tennessee

Court extends order requiring Tennessee to issue driver’s licenses to Dreamers, other immigrants

Nov 11, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Tennessee officials must continue to issue driver’s licenses to immigrants who possess valid federal work permits while a legal challenge to new state policy rejecting the documents as valid continues, a court order issued Tuesday said. The decision extends a...
‘Move quickly’: CoreCivic urges ICE to seal detention deals after Democrats win big
Tennessee

‘Move quickly’: CoreCivic urges ICE to seal detention deals after Democrats win big

Nov 10, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
The CEO of Brentwood-based CoreCivic is urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to act with speed in inking contracts for immigration detention centers after Democrats scored big wins in last week’s elections. “We would urge the ICE administration to move...
Tennessee voters adopt three constitutional amendments
Tennessee

Tennessee voters adopt three constitutional amendments

Nov 05, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Tennessee voters on Tuesday soundly approved three constitutional amendments that limit access to bail, expand victim rights and prohibit a statewide property. The vote counts for all three ballot initiatives on the ballot this year cleared the threshold set by...
Tennessee judge extends block on immigration checks in HIV/AIDS program
Tennessee

Tennessee judge extends block on immigration checks in HIV/AIDS program

Nov 05, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
A Nashville judge on Wednesday continued to block the Tennessee Department of Health from demanding proof of citizenship or immigration status from HIV-positive individuals who are enrolled in a safety-net healthcare program. Chancellor I’Ashea Myles’ extension of a temporary restraining...
Victoria Broderick claims victory over U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 4th Congressional District
Tennessee

Victoria Broderick claims victory over U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 4th Congressional District

Nov 04, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Democrat Victoria Broderick claimed victory in Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District late Tuesday after unofficial election results showed her with a razor-thin margin of victory to flip a reliably Republican seat occupied by U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais since 2011. DesJarlais had...
Federal Election Day observers headed to Tennessee 
Tennessee

Federal Election Day observers headed to Tennessee 

Nov 03, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Teams of federal election monitors will be present in three Tennessee counties on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration plan to “oversee federal voting protections and investigate potential election fraud,” according to a Justice Department spokesperson. Monitors will be...
Judge blocks Tennessee from denying driver’s licenses to immigrants with work permits
Tennessee

Judge blocks Tennessee from denying driver’s licenses to immigrants with work permits

Nov 02, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
A Nashville judge temporarily blocked Tennessee officials from denying driver’s licenses and license renewals to immigrants authorized by the federal government to live and work in the United States. Chancellor Russell Perkins, in an order issued Monday, wrote several factors...
Lawsuit seeks to block TN from denying driver’s licenses to immigrants legally allowed to work 
Tennessee

Lawsuit seeks to block TN from denying driver’s licenses to immigrants legally allowed to work 

Oct 30, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
An immigrant advocacy organization filed a legal challenge on Friday to new Tennessee rules that deny driver’s licenses to immigrants who are legally authorized to work in the United States, arguing the state failed to follow its own rules by...
Tennessee Gov. Lee questions state rules denying licenses to immigrants legally able to work in U.S.
Tennessee

Tennessee Gov. Lee questions state rules denying licenses to immigrants legally able to work in US

Oct 29, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday he is seeking more information about new rules imposed by state driver’s license administrators that have prevented immigrants legally authorized to work in the United States — including so-called “Dreamers” — from obtaining or renewing...
Tennessee blocks driver’s licenses for Dreamers, other immigrants with U.S. work permits
Tennessee

Tennessee blocks driver’s licenses for Dreamers, other immigrants with U.S. work permits

Oct 27, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
Tennessee is rejecting applications for driver’s licenses from immigrants who are authorized by the federal government to work and live in the United States, a shift in policy that could strip thousands of longtime license-holders of the ability to legally...
Nashville judge temporarily blocks immigration status checks in HIV/AIDS program
Tennessee

Nashville judge temporarily blocks immigration status checks in HIV/AIDS program

Oct 22, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
A Nashville judge temporarily blocked Tennessee health officials from requiring immigration status checks of HIV-positive individuals enrolled in a healthcare safety-net program. Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles issued the temporary restraining order late Wednesday. The order prevents the Tennessee Department of...
Memphis City Council asks ICE, National Guard to leave 
Tennessee

Memphis City Council asks ICE, National Guard to leave 

Oct 21, 2026
Anita Wadhwani
The Memphis City Council on Tuesday voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution calling for the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Tennessee National Guard from the city. The resolution drew dozens of speakers who urged its adoption...