Undocumented Illegal Residents Flood Colorado DMV for Driver's Licenses

Undocumented Residents Flood Colorado DMV for Driver's Licenses

Thursday, 03 Jul 2014 12:30 PM
By Andrea Billups

A Colorado law providing driver's licenses for those who are not U.S. citizens has created a logjam at the state's DMV.

Even as the law won't take effect until next month, thousands of undocumented residents have contacted state offices to make appointments for applications, Denver'scbslocal.com reports.

On Tuesday, the first day to apply, 823 people signed up by phone and online with thousands more unable to get through. The state website registered 60,000 hits in less than an hour, The Denver Post reported.

The state estimates about 45,000 residents are expected to apply for the cards, which require applicants to prove they live there, that they have paid taxes, and perhaps more crucial, that they have formally applied for citizenship.

While the cards are marked "Not Valid for Federal Identification, Voting, or Public Benefit Purposes," they serve a purpose to identify just who is living within state borders and who are undocumented.

Immigrant residents are excited to be able to apply. "I think they didn’t understand how important this is to the immigrant community, didn’t anticipate people chomping at the bit to get driver’s licenses and do things the right way," said one of the law's supporters, Gabriela Flora.

But Driver's Licenses for All founder Nacho Ramirez decried the state as unprepared for the onslaught, noting the website could not handle the traffic, and call-in numbers could not take the volume.

"The department isn't prepared," Ramirez told the Post on Tuesday. "We gave them more than a year, and they aren't prepared. They're only going to open five offices. They aren't answering the phones.

"This isn't supposed to be a pilot, or a trial run. This is the law."

Cost for the non-citizen license is $50.50, an extra $29.50 over the regular fee of $21. Just five DMV offices will handle applications statewide.

As of March 11, states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted laws to allow driver's licenses or state identification cards for immigrants, according to theNational Immigration Law Center.

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. . . including the right to vote, drive, and receive Medicaid, among other benefits . . .

Appointment requests for noncitizen Colorado license overwhelm system

By Yesenia Robles
The Denver Post
Posted: 07/01/2014 05:32:17 PM MDT45 Comments
Updated: 07/02/2014 02:42:14 PM MDT


http://extras.mnginteractive.com/liv...ice~p1_200.jpg
A mother and daughter walk up to the doors of the Denver Drivers License office on W. Mississippi in this September, 2009 Denver Post file photo. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

Those wanting to make an appointment to get the new driver's license for noncitizens overwhelmed the system Tuesday — the first day appointments were being scheduled.

Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles did not answer specific questions Tuesday but said the website for appointments had approximately 60,000 hits in less than an hour Tuesday.

The licenses, a result of Senate Bill 251 approved by the Colorado legislature in 2013, will allow those who do not have a valid social security number — including immigrants in the country illegally and others in the country with temporary legal status — to obtain a driver's license starting next month if they can prove they live in Colorado.

After campaigning for years to get the law passed, Driver's Licenses For All founder Nacho Ramirez said members are unsatisfied.

"The department isn't prepared," Ramirez said Tuesday. "We gave them more than a year, and they aren't prepared. They're only going to open five offices. They aren't answering the phones.

"This isn't supposed to be a pilot, or a trial run. This is the law."

Ramirez said people trying to make appointments online saw the website freezing and crashing.

Calls to the appointment line Tuesday afternoon resulted in one ring and then a message stating "due to high call volume, we are unable to take your call." The call would then disconnect.

Just days before the phone line opened Tuesday, the DMV approved final details about the new licenses and how they would be issued.

Using an emergency rule at first, the DMV will set the cost of the license for noncitizens at $50.50 — including the $21 standard fee and an additional $29.50.

The licenses will be marked to note it is not valid for voting or as federal identification.

For people who never have had a driver's license or whose license has been expired for more than a year, they must first get an instruction permit by passing the written test and later the driving test.

Among the requirements, applicants will have to provide copies of state tax returns for the last year and an identification from their country of origin such as a passport, consular identification or military identification.

Foreign documents will have to be translated into English by a translator registered in the state.

The licenses will only be issued by appointment at five DMV locations statewide.

According to earlier DMV estimates, more than 46,000 immigrants are expected to apply for the new license in the first year, and the department expected to be able to hire four additional employees across the state.

"Although this program is not scheduled to roll out until Aug. 1, 2014, there is clearly a great deal of interest by the community to obtain these services," Barbara Brohl, executive director of the Colorado Department of Revenue, wrote in an emailed statement.

She added that the department is working with community organizations and will ask that requests for appointments are made more gradually.

"We believe that this will help to ensure that we can meet the needs of this program appropriately," Brohl's statement said.

Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yeseniarobles

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26070811/appointment-requests-noncitizen-colorado-license-overwhelm-system

Non-Citizen Driver’s Licenses Bogging Down Colorado DMV

July 2, 2014 11:41 PM

DENVER (CBS4)- A new kind of driver’s license for non-citizens will soon be available but even before the Department of Motor Vehicles can issue them, advance requests are clogging up the system.

Tens of thousands of drivers in Colorado are calling the DMV to register for the new ID which is clogging the system.

Those licenses are the result of a law passed last year that aims to improve public safety by making sure every driver in Colorado, regardless of their legal status, has a license.

The law doesn’t take effect until Aug. 1 but the DMV began making appointments on Tuesday for applicants. In the first day they scheduled 823 appointments, by phone and online; that’s more than 100 per hour. Thousands of others were not able to get through.

“I try and try and try,” said America Carbajalo, a driver who tried to call to make an appointment for applying for the new non-citizen licenses.

Those without a Social Securityhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png number, including illegal immigrants, are eligible for driver’s licenses or identification cards if they can prove they live in Colorado, have been paying taxes and have applied for citizenship.

In order to comply with federal law, the cards are marked “Not Valid For Federal Identification, Voting or Public Benefit Purposes.”

“I think they didn’t understand how important this is to the immigrant community, didn’t anticipate people chomping at the bit to get driver’s licenses and do things the right way,” said Gabriela Flora, who helped get the law passed.

She said the DMV expected 45,000 applicants the first year but it will likely be double that.

Carbajalo, a native of Mexico, has been waiting 16 years to drive her granddaughter and isn’t about to give up.

“I try everyday. I need an appointment. I need my license,” said Carbajalo.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/07/0...-colorado-dmv/