A New York assemblyman introduced legislation yesterday that if passed, would allow approximately 150,000 in New York City to get a driver’s license. Statewide, 265,000 would be eligible.
Assemblyman Francisco P. Moya (D-Queens) filed the bill on January 31 (A04050) that would give illegal aliens the right to legally drive. The bill also expressly states that the license could “be used as legal identification.”
Just a few days ago, State Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-California) wrote an article for Breitbart News entitled, “California’s Recipe for Voter Fraud on a Massive Scale” that explained one of the ways you accomplish massive voter fraud – “Spend millions of taxpayer dollars handing out Drivers Licenses to millions of people illegally present in the state (with an asterisk stating, ‘Federal Limits Apply’).” The next step is to “Pass a law requiring everyone who has a California Drivers License to be ‘automatically’ registered to vote—including illegal aliens.”
According to the reports of New York City Controller Scott Stringer and the Fiscal Policy Institute, “150,000 undocumented immigrants [in New York City] would be likely to obtain licenses if the law was changed to allow it,” the New York Daily News reported.
The publication also reported that there are 525,000 illegal immigrants who have reached the age of 16 years in New York City and based on “signups in other states the report predicts that they would apply for licenses at half the rate of the 57% of New Yorkers overall who have them.”
Breitbart News reported in February 2016 that California issued driver licenses to more than a half million illegal aliens (605,000) in 2015. This was the first year that illegal immigrants were eligible for driving certification in California. California Assembly Bill 60 (AB-60) was implemented on January 2, 2o15.
“The proposed law will act like yet another incentive for aliens looking to cross our borders illegally. These kinds of privileges should be given only to citizens and those who’ve come here lawfully and who respect our sovereignty,” Dale Wilcox, executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) told Breitbart Texas.
Those supporting the measure, like the New York City Controller believe “The time is right for our state to make this change. When backwards rhetoric and backwards policy making are pouring out of Washington, this is a forward-looking proposal for New York State,” Stringer said. “Granting licenses is not just a statement of our values — it’s practical because it makes our roads safer, brings immigrants out of the shadows, and saves everybody money.”
Proponents of giving illegal immigrants a drivers license say that the fees would give the state and local governments revenue, including registration and title fees, lower car insurance premiums, generate car sales and other taxes.
The New York Immigration Coalition tweeted their apparent support for the measure:
Similar legislation failed 10 years ago and has been blocked in Albany in the past reported Time Warner and the Daily News.
Twelve other states, and the District of Columbia allow illegal aliens to apply for a driver’s license. These states are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Vermont and Washington.
In California, the AB-60, can not be used for identification, only for driving. The license itself contains the message, “Federal Limits Apply,” as well as, “This card is not acceptable for official federal purposes.”
Illegal aliens in other states have sued for the right to obtain a drivers license, reported Breitbart Texas. The case in Oregon is still pending.
The results of an April 2015 survey by YouGov/Huffington Post of 1,000 adult Americans found that 47% “strongly oppose,” and 17% “somewhat oppose,” allowing Illegal aliens to obtain driver licenses in their state. Moreover, 42 percent of those surveyed felt that allowing illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses “makes the U.S. less safe.”
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.