UPDATE: A bill permitting some younger undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses in California has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.
Assembly Bill 2189, introduced by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, permits undocumented immigrants to be issued a driver’s license in the state if they qualify for President Obama’s deferment order announced earlier this year. AB 2189 could affect up to 450,000 state residents.
The federal deferment order grants a two-year stay from deportation for undocumented immigrants between the ages of 15 and 31 who were brought to the U.S. before the age of 16 and meet certain other eligibility requirements.
The question whether to issue driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants has been hotly debated in several states, including California, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
