Thread: 10 US states plus Washington, D.C. allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses

Undocumented immigrants are able to obtain driver's license from 10 US states and Washington, D.C., which have a combined illegal immigrant population of 4.12 million people, an

independent non-profit, non-governmental organization revealed.

To date, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, and Washington plus the District of Columbia are issuing the license to "nearly 37 percent of

unauthorised immigrants who live in a jurisdiction where they may obtain a license," according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Regulation of driver's licenses is a state-level function, and state legislative activity around this question has increased in recent years," the Pew report said.

In 2013, eight states and the District of Columbia passed laws that allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's license.

This year, Delaware and Hawaii enacted similar laws but have not started issuing the licenses.

Since January, when California started issuing driver's license to undocumented immigrants, about 442,000 have applied, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Last month, there were 35,000 applicants.

California's driver's license indicates a "federal limits apply" while New Mexico and Washington issue the same license regardless of immigration status of the applicant, according to Newsmax.

In the next three years, officials from California's Department of Motor Vehicles estimate that about 1.4 million undocumented immigrants will apply for a driver's license.

The Pew report estimates that 3.5 percent of the US population are undocumented immigrants. Of the estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the US, 2.45 million or 22 percent live in California.

The process of issuing the license varies state to state.

"Seven states and the District of Columbia require applicants to translate foreign-issued identity and residency documents into English," the Pew report said. "Four offer special procedures so that those who do not have the required documents can be

considered on a case-by-case basis."

With the increase in applicants, "states may need to hire additional employees," the report said, noting that the cost of new personnel was the highest anticipated expense.

California said it would likely hire about 822 new limited-term position while Illinois has hired 100 people including bilingual call operators for the appointment system.

The operating costs in implementing the driver's license programme for undocumented immigrants are estimated between $140 million and $220 million in California and the application fee revenue would be about $50 million over the next three years.

10 US states plus Washington, D.C. allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses | Christian News on Christian Today

they should not get a driver's licenses at all what with all of state . wake up . have all of the states look at the the mexico's immigrant's law I don't think so .they don't get all of the goodie that we hand out this has to stop . I say no dr lic at all . washington DC wake the hell .

New Mexico was the first state to offer licenses to illegal aliens, in 2003.

"New Mexico passed its state law in 2003 allowing licenses for people in the country illegally." It was signed by Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson.

12/17/2014
http://www.alipac.us/f12/new-mexico-...begins-316147/

Illegal aliens can get driver's licenses in all 50 states, if they are in DACA.

5/29/15
"The law is effective immediately, meaning that Dreamers granted DACA finally have the right to apply for driver's licenses in all 50 states."

https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-free...-their-license

Nebraska Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto and Gives Dreamers Their License to Drive

By Jonathan Blazer, ACLU
MAY 29, 2015 | 12:30 PM



Maria Marquez Hernandez at her graduation


Maria Marquez Hernandez just graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in psychology, but she still can't give her younger sister a ride. That's because she's a Dreamer — brought to the U.S. by her parents and raised undocumented as a child.

Shortly after the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was announced in 2012, Maria applied for DACA and received a Social Security number and work authorization card, which ordinarily would have allowed her to apply for a Nebraska driver's license. But the former and current governor decreed that Dreamers could not qualify for driver's licenses, even if they presented that documentation. This has made daily life difficult for Maria, but not being able to do what other big sisters do bothered her most.

Buckle up. This week that changed when the Nebraska Senate voted in dramatic fashion to let Dreamers drive.

Maria loves Nebraska, which she has called home since the age of five. But as she has noted, standing up for herself and others in the face of injustice is part of being an American. So when Maria was denied a license because of Gov. Pete Ricketts' adherence to an unfair and unlawful edict, she joined with several of her fellow Dreamers to challenge it in court. But rather than simply waiting on a court to decide, Dreamers and their allies, including the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, convinced the legislature to consider a bill to reverse the discriminatory policy.

At first, it seemed like a long shot. Republican members of Congress are trying to scrap DACA altogether. Republican governors and attorneys general in 26 states — including Nebraska — are suing to stop the DACA program from expanding. How were Dreamers going to convince a majority of Republicans to override their Republican governor?

Ask them. Last week, the legislature passed a bill ensuring that Dreamers with DACA — and anyone else with deferred action — are eligible for driver's licenses. When the governor vetoed the bill, the senators stood strong, and voted 34-10 to override the veto. This vote is a victory for Dreamers, and for all Nebraskans.

But it is also of national significance for two other reasons.
First, it successfully concludes nearly three years of a nationwide, state-by-state legal and political struggle by ACLU and partner organizations to support Dreamers' fight to win recognition of their right to driver's licenses. As soon as President Obama announced his DACA initiative in August 2012, most states embraced the opportunity to integrate young immigrants and to ensure that they are trained, tested, licensed, and insured as drivers. Some states, however, vowed to deny driver's licenses to them. Others stonewalled.

There was more than driving at stake. For states and Dreamers alike, a driver's license symbolizes belonging, membership, and acceptance. In most cases, recalcitrant state officials relented in the face of strong legal advocacy, organizing, and the broad public consensus favoring fair treatment of Dreamers.
Three states held out: Michigan, Arizona, and Nebraska.

Dreamers had little choice but to sue, with the support of ACLU and other partners. Michigan began issuing licenses soon after being sued. Arizona began issuing licenses earlier this year, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found that the state's policy violated the U.S. Constitution. This left Nebraska standing alone, the last state clinging to discrimination.

Wisely, rather than await yet another unfavorable court ruling, the legislature took the affirmative step of passing a law to end two governors' losing battle. The law is effective immediately, meaning that Dreamers granted DACA finally have the right to apply for driver's licenses in all 50 states.

Second, the Nebraska vote brings an underreported trend to the surface: the unwillingness of state legislatures in both red and blue states to penalize Dreamers and others granted deferred action.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the architect of numerous failed anti-immigrant state laws,boasted earlier this year that he was in consultation with lawmakers from a dozen other states about state legislation to target Dreamers and others who benefit from federal executive actions on immigration.

Yet from Kansas to Georgia to Texas, Republicans state legislators are refusing as a matter of state policy to penalize Dreamers. Why? It's one thing to file a bill attacking Dreamers, and it's quite another to have to face them, hearing after hearing, and to listen to their stories, which always disrupt simplistic stereotypes regarding "illegal immigration."

The media rebroadcasts those stories of young people overcoming extraordinary obstacles to contribute actively to their communities, and public opinion turns even further against legislators seeking to punish Dreamers. The Nebraska vote is another strong indication of support, on the ground, for Dreamers and the presidents' deferred action initiatives.

Republicans may disagree with the way in which the president has gone about his reforms, but they appear to agree with the policies themselves.

Either way, Maria Marquez Hernandez, other Dreamers, and their allies will keep fighting — and winning.

https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-free...-their-license

For many years New Mexico, Washington and Utah were the only states that let illegal aliens get driver's licenses.

Illegal immigrants flocking to 3 states to obtain identification

www.azcentral.com/news/.../20100814illegal-immi...
The Arizona Republic
Aug 14, 2010 -Three states - Washington, New Mexico and Utah - allow illegal immigrants to get licenses because their laws do not require proof of ...

illegals are making a hell of a business in US

Originally Posted by southBronx

they should not get a driver's licenses at all what with all of state . wake up . have all of the states look at the the mexico's immigrant's law I don't think so .they don't get all of the goodie that we hand out this has to stop . I say no dr lic at all . washington DC wake the hell .

But they need their drivers licenses to traffic drugs, smuggle illegal liens into the country and haul the money out!

There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that every politician who supports nonsense like drivers licenses for illegal aliens are on the take with the drug cartels. They're the ones funding through direct and indirect means all these phony advocacy groups promoting and rewarding illegal aliens.

Originally Posted by European Knight

illegals are making a hell of a business in US

They sure are! They run all the illegal enterprises.

Look at this despicable scum that has the nerve to call itself a government. This is being shoved from the top down upon citizens who do not want any of it. I want to be clear I am not advocating violence this is an observation and a warning of danger. This is why there are violent revolutions. This is why the quiet mass explodes into bloody street battles (and I don't mean the big money financed street theater stuff from dumb ass Marxists children, and groups like Black Lives Matter--phoney, phoney, phoney play acting). I mean when the real mass, the common hard working citizens who get a belly full of being ignored and screwed over lorded over and bullied by the politicians who cease being the servants of their citizens and instead act like their imperial rulers.

The hardworking honest citizens will quietly endure a lot but there comes a point beyond endurance. And when the real people get angry it will not be play acting; they will be serious--God help us all if the political ruling class does not stop this crap and get off the backs of honest citizens.

Originally Posted by csarbww

Look at this despicable scum that has the nerve to call itself a government. This is being shoved from the top down upon citizens who do not want any of it. I want to be clear I am not advocating violence this is an observation and a warning of danger. This is why there are violent revolutions. This is why the quiet mass explodes into bloody street battles (and I don't mean the big money financed street theater stuff from dumb ass Marxists children, and groups like Black Lives Matter--phoney, phoney, phoney play acting). I mean when the real mass, the common hard working citizens who get a belly full of being ignored and screwed over lorded over and bullied by the politicians who cease being the servants of their citizens and instead act like their imperial rulers.

The hardworking honest citizens will quietly endure a lot but there comes a point beyond endurance. And when the real people get angry it will not be play acting; they will be serious--God help us all if the political ruling class does not stop this crap and get off the backs of honest citizens.

I know you're not advocating violence. But fight we will as activists, Americans, and voters to throw all this no good pond scum out of our governments at all levels. And I do believe that we're at the tipping point in the 2016 elections to do just that!

Keep up the good work America, and many thanks again to Donald J Trump for helping US bring this important cause of illegal immigration and excess immigration along with free trade treason to the national attention for the national interest and that means you and me and all our fellow citizens of the United States of America!