New York State to allow undocumented aliens to obtain a driver’s license
New York State will now allow undocumented aliens to to obtain a drivers license. The New York State Legislature has passed a bill that Governor Cuomo signed giving undocumented aliens the right to a New York driver’s license. The so-called “Green Light Bill” makes New York the 13th state to authorize drivers’ licenses for immigrants present without legal status in the United States.
The governor said he would only sign the bill into law if there were sufficient safeguards to prevent federal authorities from accessing the New York DMV database. The governor wants to prevent Federal immigration authorities, such as ICE, from using the data created when undocumented aliens obtain a drivers license be used to locate and deport those same people.
The law would go into effect in 180 days, meaning undocumented immigrants could get licenses beginning in December. Legislators say they will have to follow the same requirements as other licensed drivers in New York, which includes having auto insurance.
