ImmigrationDHS wants changes in Calif.’s ID for undocumented immigrants
California is preparing to issue drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants who have been permitted to stay in the United States, but DHS has rejected the state’s design for the license card. DHS wants the cards to be unique enough to distinguish them from regular drivers’ licenses, but immigrant rights activists do not want the design to be so different that license holders would suffer from discrimination.
California is preparing to issue drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants who have been permitted to stay in the United States, but DHS has rejected the state’s design for the license card. DHS wants the cards to be unique enough to distinguish them from regular drivers’ licenses, but immigrant rights activists do not want the design to be so different that license holders would suffer from discrimination.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the card’s design is similar to the regular license issued to California citizens, but it contains a small mark on the front and a small print text on the back which reads, “This card is not acceptable for official federal purposes.”
DHS rejected the proposed design earlier last week, saying the agency wants the disclaimer on the front of the card, as practiced in other states which offer similar licenses. DHS also wants the card to feature a color or design which is noticeably different from regular drivers’ licenses.
Reuters notes that ten states currently have laws permitting drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants. North Carolina issues licenses with a pink stripe running through to mark the cardholder as an undocumented immigrant. Alabama issues licenses with a branded “FN” label, for Foreign National.
Arturo Carmona, a spokesman for immigrant advocacy group Presente.org defends California’s proposed design, saying “we are strongly rejecting the attempts by the Department of Homeland Security to strongarm the state of California into accepting what we see as unnecessary requirements.”
Some legislators in California criticized DHS’s rejection of the design, arguing that following the DHS-preferred design would result in profiling of undocumented immigrants. In a letter to DHS secretary Jeh Johnson, State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville) noted, “immigrants are statistically more likely to be the victims of crime and are often primary targets for scams, discrimination, retaliation and extortion in encounters with a diverse set of unscrupulous actors.”
Lara and Alejo claim that by allowing California to proceed with its original design, DHS would be confirming that it “will not exploit the program for immigration enforcement purposes.”
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has said it will review the design. “The DMV will continue to work vigorously with lawmakers, affected communities and federal officials to design a license that complies with federal law and allows over a million undocumented California residents to drive legally and safely on state roads,” spokesman Armando Botello said in a statement to theTimes.
California plans to issue the licenses next year. “We’re still working on hiring an additional 1,000 people and opening four temporary offices,” Botello said. “We’re still hopeful that we can meet that deadline.”
