Drivers License Sign-Ups for Illegal Aliens Could Trigger Deportations

It’s not going to be all smooth sailing  for illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses under the Obama executive amnesty program.

After years of duping law enforcement officials by using fraudulent drivers licenses, many illegal immigrants are now wary of applying for a legal California license which will be available to them on January 2.

Although most undocumented immigrants will be able to procure a drivers license without incident, others who applied for licenses in the past under assumed names using stolen social security numbers might want to lawyer-up before they fill out their next application. According to AP News, a new submission might prompt state officials to press  fraud charges for their previous fictitious application.

Illegal aliens with a prior deportation order or criminal record might want to consider one other caveat when signing up for a legal drivers license. Once the undocumented alien is in the Department of Motor Vehicles system, federal immigration officials and law enforcement can access their information and use it against them.

Alison Kamhi, staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center says that it is important that illegal aliens are aware that there are risks in applying for a drivers license.  Yet, she contends that, “For the vast majority of people, getting a license is a good decision.”

With 1.4 million illegal immigrants now enjoying deportation preferences under Obama amnesty, California’s driver’s license rollout looks to be more prodigious than other states like neighboring Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona.

Yahoo News reported that California hopes to cut down on long lines and numerous written test failures by employing more DMV personnel. Moreover, by providing 180 workshops to counsel immigrants on application procedures and by scheduling appointment-only registrations the overall process should be less chaotic and more efficient.