THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US…
…along with thousands
of other throughout the state, in speaking out against a policy that both discriminates
against immigrants and endangers all of us. Help put pressure on Governor Pataki
and DMV Commissioner Ray Martinez to allow the opportunity for qualified New York
residents to obtain drivers’ licenses regardless of immigration status.
Saturday,
October 16th from 10:00AM-12:00PM
The Orange County Department of Motor Vehicles
255
Main St. in Goshen
Background
Beginning
in February of this year, the New York State DMV began sending out letters to
over half a million immigrants, threatening to revoke the driver’s license
of anyone who cannot not provide a valid Social Security Number within 15 days
of receiving a letter. While no licenses have yet been revoked, those who cannot
provide proof of a valid SSN are now unable to renew their licenses or make any
new transactions with their licenses, such as reporting a change of address or
registering a car.
SSNs were designed for tax
purposes only, not as a means of identification. However, in 1995 the State of
New York began requiring that driver’s license applicants supply a Social
Security number as a form of ID or, alternatively, a letter from the Social Security
Administration with proof of legal residency for one year. The DMV adopted this
measure despite the fact that immigration enforcement is outside of its mandate.
But only recently has the New York DMV stepped up its efforts to enforce immigration
law by threatening to revoke licenses from people who obtained their licenses
before1995, but cannot prove legal immigration status. As a result, immigrants
who have been safely driving in New York for 10 years or more are now at risk
of losing their licenses.
The latest actions by
the DMV have generated a great deal of concern, among immigrants and citizens
alike. Along with the risk of losing their licenses, many people run the risk
of losing their jobs due to lack of transportation. In short, the livelihood of
thousands and thousands of families is at stake. Furthermore, as more people lose
their licenses, we will have increased numbers of uninsured, unregistered drivers
on the road—a danger to all New Yorkers—and a situation that will lead
to higher insurance rates state-wide.
The issue
has begun to attract more and more attention in the media and among elected officials.
Advocates are putting pressure of Governor Pataki to direct the NY State DMV Commissioner,
Ray Martinez, to allow for immigrant access to driver’s licenses and to end
DMV enforcement of immigration law. While some have proposed issuing an “Immigrant
Driver Permit” to immigrant drivers who are currently under threat of losing
their licenses, immigrant communities and advocacy organizations are deeply concerned
about the nature of the IDP, which would leave undocumented immigrant drivers
marked and vulnerable to discrimination and police harassment. For this and many
other reasons, the IDP should not be considered a viable solution to the problem.
We need your support in speaking out against this injustice.
Please
contact Emma Kreyche at ekreyche@hotmail.com
for more information, sample letters and specific policy recommendations.
