New York Considers One-Year Driving Permits for Immigrants

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles is reviewing a proposal for a limited "Immigrant Driver Permit" that could allow hundreds of thousands of drivers now facing license suspension to stay on the road legally. The proposal comes from Fernando Mateo, a businessman with Republican Party ties who heads a Hispanic organization. But it is already opposed by the leaders of other immigrant groups. They point to problems with a similar two-tier licensing scheme adopted in Tennessee earlier this year and warn that it could lead to more deportations. In an interview, Mr. Mateo characterized the proposal as a compromise. But Gouri Sadhwani, executive director of the New York Civic Participation Project, an immigrant and labor union advocacy group that has been protesting a state license crackdown, said such a permit would in effect identify the bearer as an immigrant without legal status, opening the door to arrest and deportation. "This is not a solution," she said. As of last week, state officials had already suspended 1,700 driving licenses, and almost 300,000 more could face suspension for lack of verifiable Social Security numbers.  [more]