NY pols ok driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants
Caribbean L 6 ife, June 21–27, 2019 BQ
PATIENTS’
CHOICE
RATED & AWARDED BY PATIENTS
SM
By Timothy Bolger
New York State lawmakers
approved the hotly debated
Green Light NY bill that allows
undocumented immigrants
to acquire driver’s licenses,
although all nine of Long
Island’s state senators voted
against the measure.
After the bill cleared the final
hurdle of passage in the Democrat
controlled state Senate on
Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
signed the bill into law — a
move that proponents say will
boost the economy and critics
argue enables immigrants that
illegally enter the country.
“We value the important
contributions made by immigrants
to our local economy
and our communities, which
is why we have given this piece
of legislation careful consideration,”
LI’s six Democratic state
senators said in a statement
after voting against the bill.
“Following countless meetings
with stakeholders, residents,
and advocates on the
implications of this bill, our
vote is based on the continued
existence of serious concerns
raised by stakeholders and law
enforcement. We will continue
to stand together in the best
interest of Long Islanders.”
New York joins 12 states,
Puerto Rico, and the District
of Columbia that have already
enacted laws allowing undocumented
immigrants to obtain
driver’s licenses. The move further
positions the Empire State
in opposition to President Donald
Trump’s hard-line immigration
stance.
“By passing this needed legislation,
we are growing our
economy while at the same
time making our roads safer,”
said Senate Majority Leader
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
(D-Westchester). “This is the
right step forward for New York
State as we continue to advocate
for comprehensive immigration
reform on the federal
level.”
The bill, which passed the
state Senate by a vote of 33 to
29 and goes into effect immediately,
reverses a ban enacted in
2001. Estimates on how many
undocumented immigrants
will benefit from the law range
from 250,000 to 750,000. It
will result in $83.9 million
in government revenues over
the first three years and $6.4
million in recurring revenue
thereafter, the Fiscal Policy
Institute estimates.
In effect, it allows anyone
applying for a non-commercial
driver’s license or learner’s permit
to submit additional proofs
of identity for applicants that
sign an affidavit indicating
that they haven’t been issued
a social security number. The
state will also keep that documentation
private.
Feat that the federal government
will use the driver’s
license application paperwork
to deport undocumented
immigrants was a sticking
point among Democrats in the
debate. Cuomo had indicated
he would veto the bill if he
didn’t get assurances from the
Solicitor General that the federal
government won’t be able
to access the paperwork. But
he ultimately signed the bill
into law Monday night after
the state Attorney General
said “that she believes there
are ‘safeguards’ in the bill, and
it can be defended; in other
words, it cannot be weaponized
to be used against undocumented
individuals,” Cuomo’s
office said in a statement.
State Senate Minority Leader
John Flanagan (R-Smithtown)
blasted Democrats over this
and other recent legislation.
“If you’ve been convicted
of a serious crime or are in
this country illegally, Democrats
will give you everything
you want and more,” he said.
“But if you’re a hardworking,
law-abiding, middle-class New
Yorker who just wants a better
life for yourself and for
your family, there’s nothing
for you.”