Illegal Immigrants in New York May Apply for Driver’s Licenses

Illegal immigrants may now apply for driver’s licenses in New York State as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Green Light Law following the dismissal of another legal challenge.

The law, passed by the New York State Assembly and signed by Cuomo this year, allows an individual to apply for a driver’s license regardless of his or her immigration status. No Social Security number is required.

“It allows all New Yorkers age 16 and older to apply for a standard, not for federal purpose, non-commercial driver license or learner permit regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States,” per New York State’s DMV.

Applicants must provide a combination of approved documents that prove name, birthdate, and New York State residency. Valid documents include an unexpired foreign passport, a valid foreign driver’s license, a Border Crossing Card, or a foreign birth certificate, among other documents.

Proponents of the law claim it improves the “safety and security of all of its residents,” while critics say it does the opposite.

“This well-reasoned law, which has withstood multiple legal challenges, allows all New Yorkers – regardless of immigration status – to obtain a standard driver’s license, enabling them to legally drive and purchase car insurance,” New York State Immigration Manager Eddie A. Taveras said in a statement, noting that applicants will still need to pass an exam and road test to obtain a license.

“The Green Light Law will improve the safety of New York’s roads, provide a new revenue stream for the state and help keep families together,” he argued, adding that it sends an “important message” that New York is a “state of immigrants” and “leading the way on tolerance and inclusivity for the nation and the world.”

ABC 7 reports:

A federal district judge ruled against Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola, saying he lacked the legal capacity to bring the lawsuit.

Merola, a Republican, had argued that the state law conflicts with federal immigration law.

Merola is one of more than 50 county clerks who run Department of Motor Vehicles offices as agents of the state. Some clerks have said they’re frustrated with the rollout of the law and several have sued the state.

“I am disappointed, and hopefully, this is only a setback,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to fight to be heard.”

As Breitbart News reported, the law will have a negative impact on the wages of American workers as it essentially gifts “Uber, DoorDash, Amazon, and business groups a huge new supply of 250,000 illegal immigrant drivers”:

The new labor supply will partly counter President Donald Trump’s “Hire American” immigration policies that are now forcing up Americans’ wages. “Wages are rising at the fastest rate in many decades … [and] they’re rising the fastest for the lowest-income Americans,” President Donald Trump said at his June 18 campaign-opener in Florida.

For example, SimplyHired.com shows wages for delivery drivers in New York ranging from $9 an hour to $25 an hour — although the wages remain far below what is needed for a decent living in New York City, even before the companies start to hire cheaper illegal immigrant drivers.