Give a Green Light to driver's licenses for immigrants in New York state!
Andrew Cuomo, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl Heastie
You can take action to help thousands of immigrants in New York State get a Green Light for a Driver’s License! Right now undocumented immigrants and refugees in NY are unable to apply for a driver’s license. Without this access, daily responsibilities for thousands of immigrants in NY, including accessing medical care, picking up their children from school or getting to and from work leads many to drive without licenses. This puts them at odds with the law and increases the risk that a routine traffic stop will result in arrest, detention, or even deportation. A routine traffic stop should never result in the breaking apart of a family!
New York is lagging behind twelve other states in giving undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses. We can change this and make NY a true sanctuary state for all.
The Workmen’s Circle continues its long tradition of supporting immigrants and refugees through our social justice activism. We stand up, we speak out and we respond quickly to help those most in need. You can take action and help thousands of immigrants in New York today.
Please sign the petition below to tell NY lawmakers that it is time for ALL New Yorkers to get the Green Light for driver’s licenses.
Sponsored by
To:
Andrew Cuomo, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl Heastie
From:
[Your Name]
New York currently bars hundreds of thousands of immigrants in our state from obtaining driver's licenses due to their immigration status. Without access to licenses, many immigrants are unable to purchase, register, and insure their own vehicles. As a result, they face major barriers to meeting the most basic needs of day-to-day life: traveling to work, school, grocery shopping, medical appointments, and places of worship.
Out of sheer necessity, many immigrants drive without licenses, putting them at odds with law enforcement, undermining trust between police and immigrant communities, and increasing the risk that a routine traffic stop will result in arrest, detention, or even deportation.
Following the lead of other states, the time has come for New York to expand access to driver’s licenses to allow more immigrant New Yorkers to fully understand traffic laws, pass a road test, and operate registered, inspected, and insured vehicles. Expanded immigrant access to driver’s licenses will reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on the road, thereby lowering insurance premiums for all New York motorists. Moreover, it will allow immigrant families to more fully participate in community life and contribute to economic growth in our state.
I support legislation to ensure that New York’s “Standard Licenses” be accessible to all state residents, regardless of immigration status. I urge New York’s lawmakers to give a green light to driver's licenses for immigrants in our state!