Thread: California poised to grant driver's licenses to young illegal immigrants

California poised to grant driver's licenses to young illegal immigrants

Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said he is convinced that most Californians do not support issuing driver's licenses to Deferred Action participants.

By Jim Sanders
Published: Wednesday, Aug. 22

California is on the verge of allowing hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses for the first time in nearly two decades.

The key question is how to do it.

The issue of granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants has raged in the Legislature for much of the past decade, without resolution, but fighting is largely moot now due to a new federal policy.

President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals gives a select group of undocumented immigrants the right to live and work in the United States for two years without fear of deportation.

California is laying the groundwork for extending the privilege to driving, too, for an estimated 400,000 immigrants.

"It appears that young people who receive federal deferrals will be eligible for California driver's licenses," the Department of Motor Vehicles said in a written statement Tuesday.

"But it remains uncertain whether clarifying legislation or regulations will be necessary," the DMV statement said.

Gil Duran, spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, said the DMV statement reflects the governor's position but that he could not elaborate.

The glitch is that state regulations allow only certain types of federal immigration documents to support the issuance of a driver's license.

If President Obama's Deferred Action program provides participants with "new or different immigration documents," then legislation or regulatory clarification may be needed, the DMV said.

Unless Brown takes a stand against issuing driver's licenses, passage of such legislation appears a sure thing in a Democratic-controlled Legislature that has consistently supported driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants in years past.

The governor, on the campaign trail, had spoken against changing state law to allow all undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.

Deferred Action applies to undocumented immigrants between the ages of 15 and 31, who were brought to America before the age of 16 and have no criminal record. Participants also must be either high school students or graduates who have lived in the United States continuously for five years.

Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, a Los Angeles Democrat who has pushed for such driver's licenses for more than a decade, said he stands ready to propose whatever legislation is necessary.

Cedillo said he has nudged state officials for weeks to lift its nearly 20-year ban in response to the Deferred Action program.

Allowing every California resident to obtain driver's licenses enhances public safety because nobody would be forced into the shadows, driving illegally, often without insurance, he said.

"It's important to all Californians that we have motorists who are licensed, tested and insured," Cedillo said.

Besides, it makes no sense to deny a driver's license to undocumented immigrants in Deferred Action who have a legal right to work, attend college and travel in the United States, he said.

"These are people who are going to be contributing to our economy by seeking work, or pursuing educational goals," said Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville.

Cedillo said that granting driver's license rights to a select group now could pave the way for expanding such opportunities for more undocumented immigrants in years to come.

Republican lawmakers turned thumbs down Wednesday on giving such a public benefit to anyone who entered the country illegally, whether they did so as children or not.

"If they're not here legally, they shouldn't get driver's licenses under any circumstances," said Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville.

Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said he is convinced that most Californians do not support issuing driver's licenses to Deferred Action participants.

"There will be a very profound negative reaction, including from me," he said.

Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee, dismissed the claim that granting driver's licenses to Deferred Action participants would enhance road safety statewide.

In a state of about 38 million residents, Jones said, the "number of people who would actually qualify for this program, under its current rules, is minuscule."

Though California's DMV points to the federal Deferred Action program as rationale for lifting its current ban on such licenses, Arizona has demonstrated that states' hands are not tied in the matter.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed an executive order this month directing state agencies not to issue driver's licenses or other public benefits to Deferred Action participants


California poised to grant driver's licenses to young illegal immigrants - Capitol and California - The Sacramento Bee

It's nothing but a damned shame...........Citizens, especially the soldiers will have to compete for jobs in this sh*t. Obama is trashing the USA. Break the law and get rewarded.............

ADDED TO ALIPAC HOMEPAGE News with amended title ..

http://www.alipac.us/content.php?r=8...gal-immigrants

The governor, on the campaign trail, had spoken against changing state law to allow all undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.

Looks like it's going to be up to Brown to stop this.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Looks like it's going to be up to Brown to stop this.

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Do you think he will while he is running for reelection?

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Looks like it's going to be up to Brown to stop this.

I don't hold a lot of confidence in that happening. Too bad Arnold's gone.

Originally Posted by HAPPY2BME

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Do you think he will while he is running for reelection?

Gov. Brown is NOT up for re-election this year.

Jerry Brown (California) Main article: California gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor Jerry Brown will be eligible to run for re-election, but has so far not announced if he will do so. Brown was re-elected with 53.1% of the vote in 2010.

He has often said "No licenses for illegal aliens".

The main problem here is that the Feds are going to give them documents that make them legal. I'm not sure there will be any legal grounds to deny them a license after the Feds make them legal. I sure hope they can find a way to prevent them from getting licenses.

Feb. 23, 2012
http://www.alipac.us/f12/ca-gov-brow...aliens-251557/

Gov. Brown also supports Secure Communities.

Jan. 5, 2011
CA. Gov. Brown supports I.C.E. Secure Communities
and as state attorney general ratified the agreement with the federal government.
http://www.alipac.us/f12/ca-gov-brow...nities-213054/

ALL 58 CA. Counties now I.C.E. Secure Communities
2/24/2011
http://www.alipac.us/f12/all-58-ca-c...nities-218534/

California 287g counties
Los Angeles, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Solano, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Ventura.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1190243.html
comment @ http://www.alipac.us/f12/all-58-ca-c...nities-218534/

L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca: Let us deport the bad guys
May 16, 2011
http://www.alipac.us/f12/l-sheriff-l...d-guys-227176/
In Los Angeles County, the Sheriff's Department also participates with ICE in a program known as 287g. Since 2006, that program has identified more than 20,000 criminal illegal immigrants here.

Over and over we hear about the poor young immigrants, but nothing about what is happening to young legal Californians. Is the media and our State and Federal Government so out of touch that they do not care what is happening to legal citizens. Why doesn't our government or any reporter ask our young what they are going through and how this new amnesty is going to affect them. I don't mean go ask students at the far left universities like UCLA. Travel the state near community and state universities and ask the young.

I will tell you what they will hear. Complaints about not being able to get needed classes. Students having to travel in a day between cities and even counties to different colleges to get the needed classes. They are being forced to pay application and tuition fees to sometimes 3 to 4 different schools per year. Students on 4 to 5 year waiting list to get into nursing programs. Young EMT's, Firemen and Police Officer graduates having to work volunteer jobs in their field hoping to get a toe in the door and not to lose their standing. These young are working in minum wage jobs in between to support theirselves. These kids know that California has passed the Dream Act allowing illigal immigrants to draw on financial aid in 2013 and now Obama has made it even easier for the illegal students. I keep wondering why their struggles are being ignored.

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are planning to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants who get work papers under a new federal policy.

http://www.alipac.us/f12/driver-lice...youths-263209/