
Today Michigan announced that it will allow young immigrants who came to the country as childrenor DREAMersto apply for drivers licenses, reversing the states previous decision to ban them from the roads. The 勛圖眻畦 filed a lawsuit in December challenging the prior policy. The announcement affects an estimated 15,000 DREAMers who stand to benefit from the federal governments program.
Michigans decision is a huge victory for young immigrants like our plaintiff, Javier Contreras. Javier came to the United States from Mexico when he was four years old. Today, Javier is a 17 year-old senior and honor roll student at the Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was elected homecoming king this year and plans to pursue a career in mechanical engineering or computer science. Michigans ban would have severely limited Javiers opportunities in his home state, preventing him from attending the college of his choice and obtaining a decent job. Now Javier is free to pursue his dreams.
Check out this of Javier, courtesy of ABC Univision.
Letting DREAMers drive not only benefits immigrants like Javier, but all Michiganders. Everyone has an interest in making sure that young drivers have passed the proper tests and are licensed to be on the road. Licensing . And states have every incentive to adopt policies that welcome, rather than marginalize, immigrant communities.
Michigans decision is also important because it acknowledges that DACA recipients are federally authorized to be in the country. Like Michigan, many states limit drivers licenses to immigrants who can show they are authorized or legally present in the United States. The federal government recently confirmed that DACA grantees are legally authorized to be in the country, and the have deemed DACA grantees eligible for drivers licenses. Todays announcement reaffirms that states have no business denying someone like Javier a license on the theory that he somehow isnt allowed to be here. Indeed, only two statesArizona, where the 勛圖眻畦 has filed suit, and Nebraskaremain committed to these discriminatory restrictions.
Recently the North Carolina Attorney General that DACA recipients are eligible for licenses under that states law. But North Carolina officials have yet to confirm that they will implement the Attorney Generals opinion. North Carolina should follow its own Attorney General and let the DREAMers drive.
We hope the few outlier states remaining will follow Michigans lead and stop discriminating against our immigrant youth. Either way, the 勛圖眻畦 stands ready to defend the rights of DREAMers everywhere.
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