Albany: New York Bill Allows Undocumented Immigrants To Have Driver’s Licenses

Posted: June 24th, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Driver License | Tags: , | Comments Off on Albany: New York Bill Allows Undocumented Immigrants To Have Driver’s Licenses

The New York State Senate granted the Green Light Bill this past week, which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. New York is the thirteenth state to administer this new law, much to the chagrin of Republicans. The vote was a resounding 33 to 29, with New York’s Democratic Party bolstering the majority of the seats which helped pass this new action.

Undocumented immigrants have been fighting for their right to legally obtain a driver’s license for decades. The new bill has stirred a passionate debate amongst Americans, though many fail to understand what the Green Light Bill actually means.

What The Green Light Bill Means

The Green Light Bill was signed into New York legislation on Monday, June 17, 2019. Governor Andrew Cuomo has been an avid supporter of the bill and took pride in being the one to officially sign it into action. The new bill allows for undocumented immigrants to obtain a standard driver’s license which they can use for identification and boarding of domestic flights.

The Debate

Naturally, the Green Light Bill has evoked political anxiety as well as civilian doubt since the news broke. The debate over an undocumented immigrant’s right to obtain a valid driver’s license is split between pro-immigration activists and those who are concerned with voter fraud. On the one hand, undocumented immigrants have been living in fear of being pulled over. Police encounters for something as simple as a traffic violation could mean separation from their children and a total upheaval to their way of life.

Others argue that the Green Light Bill is an incentive for more illegal activities and also allows immigrants to be able to vote. Prior to this bill, undocumented citizens were unable to register to vote in lieu of a valid driver’s license. Now that they can have these on hand, there is a major concern for voter fraud. There are even some clerks that are refusing to issue these citizens a driver’s license in fear of repercussions.

Prior Laws Concerning Undocumented Immigrants And Driver’s License

New York is the thirteenth state to give legal permission to immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Before this, however, there were little repercussions for those undocumented who may have been pulled over by law enforcement.

As with anyone driving without a license, the standard procedure is to issue the driver a ticket for being an unlicensed operator. They are treated the same way as any other civilian, so there is no guarantee that this indictment would reveal their unlawful citizenship. It is only after a third ticket that the driver would be subject to criminal charges under Section 511 Article 20 of NY Vehicle and Traffic Law. Other than that, undocumented immigrants would have continued to go unnoticed, despite not having a valid driver’s license. The state of New York actually only credits a driver with an electronic ID number for their ticket to track points that are accumulated. If you received tickets you should seek legal counsel.

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