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9th Circuit Overturns AZ Ban on Drivers Licenses for Dreamers

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 09:33:10 PM EST
Tags: immigration reform, DREAMERS (all tags)
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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today reversed a lower court's refusal to grant a preliminary injunction against Arizona's ban on issuing driver's licenses to Dreamers who have been granted permission under President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (background here) to remain in the U.S. and avoid deportation for up to two years.

The opinion is here. It says the Dreamers are likely to prevail on an equal protection challenge to the ban, and will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction isn't granted. It ordered the Arizona Department of Transportation to provide licenses to those in that program.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 642,685 young people have been approved for the program since 2012, including 20,000 from Arizona. (statistics here.)

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    9th Circuit Overturns AZ Ban on Drivers Licenses for Dreamers | 16 comments (16 topical)

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    ID? (none / 0) (#1)
    by thomas rogan on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 10:54:45 PM EST
    Can Arizona ask for the same proof of identity that they require of "documented" US residents who seek a driver's license?

    If it's anything like Virigina (none / 0) (#2)
    by jbindc on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 08:01:43 AM EST
    I had to show 4 documents (they wouldn't just take the fact that I was turning in a Michigan driver's license at the time).  I had to show:

    1. Two proofs of identity (my Michigan DL was one, and something else);
    2. Proof of Legal Presence (my birth certificate)
    3. Proof of Viriginia residency (a utility bill); and
    4. My SS card (or statement).

    What a pain!

    Parent
    Seriously... (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 09:30:44 AM EST
    they've gone mad at the NYS DMV as well.  I had to recently prove (again) I am who I says I am. Expired drivers license and passport wasn't enough, they sent me home for my SS card and birth certificate.  Then they didn't want to accept my SS card because it's a little banged up from being through the washing machine once or twice.  It took a manager coming over to ok my transaction, with instructions to get a new SS card asap.  Senseless and infuriating paper fetish they got down there...so stupid.

    Parent
    it may be a pain (none / 0) (#4)
    by nyjets on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 09:50:05 AM EST
    However it does make sense. Identity threat is a real problem. So it makes sense that they want to make sure you are who you say you are.
    Now, with foreigners now eligible for driver licenses, they will probable be even more stringent.


    Parent
    The problem (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 11:02:22 AM EST
    is that this kind of stuff makes identity theft EASIER. The more people that have their hands on the r