New law gives Undocumented Immigrant’s driver’s licenses in California.

New law gives Undocumented Immigrant’s driver’s licenses in California.

The State of California has begun to issue driver´s licenses to undocumented drivers. California Governor Jerry Brown, a man never afraid to push the envelope for what he thinks is right, signed a law that will permit undocumented immigrants to drive in his state. “This is only the first step,” Brown said from the steps of Los Angeles City Hall, adding that he hopes other states will follow California’s lead.

Driver’s licenses for undocumented workers

“When a million people without their documents drive legally and with respect in the state of California, the rest of this country will have to stand up and take notice,” he said. “No longer are undocumented people in the shadows. They are alive and well and respected in the state of California.”

Assembly Bill 60 is the new measure that will now require the California Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants who can prove their identities, have established California residency and pass driving exams. The law goes into effect no later than January 1, 2015. Apparently details concerning how the licenses will look has not be determined as of yet.

Supporters of licenses for undocumented immigrants argue, and we agree, that it’s safer to have more drivers trained and insured, and opponents argue that such systems are rife with fraud.

We have personally seen the benefits of the Dream Act.  Young people are now entering the work force legally; they can now obtain better paying jobs, pay taxes and, if they choose to do so, further their education or enter military service in this country. In at least 45 states, officials have said recipients of deferred action — the Obama administration’s program for young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — are eligible for driver’s licenses.

Let´s hope that the forward movement initiated by both, the Dream Act and the issuance of driver´s license, is just the beginning of a national movement to recognize the undocumented who now live in the shadows.

I am Attorney Martin E. Regan Jr. and these are my personal thoughts….