BREAKING: English-Only Driver’s License Exams Collide With End of Haitian TPS in Key West

The loss of federal protections, tougher state testing rules and looming immigration changes threaten not only transportation but the broader service workforce that underpins the Florida Keys economy.

Florida’s decision to require all driver’s license exams to be administered exclusively in English is colliding with the federal government’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, as additional, stricter immigration rules are expected to take effect nationwide — a convergence that could destabilize multiple sectors of the workforce that sustain daily life in the Florida Keys.

Beginning Feb. 6, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will no longer offer written, oral or skills exams in languages other than English, ending the use of interpreters and translated testing materials that had long been available statewide.

The policy takes effect just days after Haitian TPS protections expire Feb. 3, ending legal work authorization for thousands of longtime Florida residents and eliminating their ability to renew driver’s licenses tied to immigration status.

In Key West and across Monroe County, the timing is especially acute. Haitian and Latino immigrants comprise a significant share of the local taxi and ride-hailing workforce, staffing Uber, Lyft and independent taxi operations in a tourism-driven economy that depends on constant, around-the-clock transportation.

For many drivers, a Florida license is not merely identification. It is the job.

“Once TPS ends, the license goes with it,” said a local transportation advocate who requested anonymity due to concerns over immigration enforcement. “Add English-only testing, and there’s no path back.”

Beyond Transportation

Local advocates note that the impact extends well beyond taxis and ride-hailing. Haitian and Latino immigrants also make up a large portion of the Keys’ service workforce, including hotel housekeeping, commercial laundry operations, restaurant dishwashing, barback positions and other behind-the-scenes jobs that support tourism.

Those roles often operate out of public view but are essential to hotels, bars, restaurants and short-term rental operations that form the backbone of the local economy.

Community leaders say the combined effect of TPS expiration, English-only testing and anticipated tightening of federal immigration enforcement could sharply reduce the available workforce across multiple service sectors, not just transportation.

“This doesn’t even account for all the other jobs they do every day,” said one community organizer. “If those workers disappear, the system doesn’t bend — it breaks.”

State Policy and Local Impact

State officials have said the English-only requirement is intended to ensure drivers can understand traffic laws, road signs and instructions from law enforcement.

Critics counter that Florida administered multilingual exams for years without documented safety issues and that driving competency is not dependent on English fluency.

They also point to the disproportionate effect on immigrant communities already facing uncertainty as federal protections expire and additional immigration restrictions are anticipated.

“You lose status, you lose work, and now relicensing becomes nearly impossible,” said a local immigration advocate.

A Familiar Pattern in the Keys

The policy collision echoes previous immigration-related disruptions in the Keys, where changes in federal and state rules have repeatedly rippled through hospitality, construction and transportation sectors.

With the winter tourist season underway and further immigration policy changes expected in the coming months, some workers say colleagues are preparing to leave voluntarily rather than risk falling out of compliance. Others say they will attempt to remain employed as long as possible while navigating shifting rules.

Local officials have not announced mitigation measures specific to Monroe County.

If the loss of licensed immigrant workers accelerates, advocates say the effects are likely to surface quickly — from transportation delays to staffing shortages in hotels, restaurants and service operations across Key West.

“Key West runs on immigrant labor,” said a community organizer. “When that labor disappears, the impact is immediate.”

The Key West Chamber of Commerce has remained mute.