DMV Asking For Feedback On Plans To Issue Licences To Undocumented Immigrants
LOS ANGELES (CBS SF) — The Department of Motor Vehicles is holding a hearing on what immigrants in the country illegally will need to apply for driver's license starting next year.
The DMV will take public comment Tuesday in Los Angeles and at a second hearing Thursday in Oakland on the documents required to prove identity and state residency for the new licenses.
Immigrant advocates say they want to ensure applicants' personal information won't be shared with federal immigration agents. The immigrants say they are worried the license will look different after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the document should state on its face that it isn't for official federal purposes.
AB 60 requires the DMV to issue a driver's license to applicants who cannot submit proof that their presence in the United States is authorized by federal law. The applicant must meet all other qualifications for a driver license in California, including written and driving tests required by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The original draft of the bill, which was approved by lawmakers on the final day of the legislative session before it was signed into law in October by Gov. Brown, provided licenses to anyone who could prove they work or pay taxes in the United States, but the final version left it up to the DMV to determine required documentations.
The National Immigration Law Center says 11 states have approved issuing a driver's license or card to immigrants in the country illegally.
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