Judge: AZ DREAMers Can Apply for Driver’s Licenses on Monday

On Thursday, a federal judge allowed nearly 22,000 DREAMers in Arizona to apply for driver’s licenses starting on Monday (December 22).

After the Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s request to stay a lower court ruling in favor of the DREAMers, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals “instructed U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell to issue a preliminary injunction blocking” Brewer’s ban.

According to the Arizona Republic, Campbell issued that injunction on Thursday afternoon, which means Arizona must allow DREAMers who received temporary amnesty under President Barack Obama’s unilateral Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012 to apply for driver’s licenses.

According to Campbell’s ruling, “the order will take effect on Monday to give the state enough time to notify its employees” and will apply to all DREAMers “in Arizona who have received work permits through Obama’s deferred action program, not just the ones who filed a lawsuit challenging the ban.”

DREAMers are reportedly “making plans to go to a Motor Vehicles Department office on Monday and apply together for their licenses.”

The Ninth Circuit had previously ruled that Brewer’s executive order was likely unconstitutional, and the state has until February 22 to ask the Supreme Court to review the case. Brewer had asked the Supreme Court to prevent DREAMers from applying for driver’s licenses until the state filed its appeal because DREAMers would have to give up their licenses if the Supreme Court decides to hear the case and sides with Brewer.