The New York City Department of Transportation has hired more than 300 employees to deal with the flow of illegal migrant drivers

The excitement for obtaining a driver’s license among illegal immigrants in New York does not cease. People continue to line up in long lines under the offices of the Department of Transportation. The institution came up with how to solve this problem. The publication shared the details Patch.

Long lines and problem solving

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of New York has hired more than 300 employees to work with illegal immigrants seeking a driver’s license.

The fact is that in December 2019 a law was passed that allowed immigrants living illegally in the country to obtain a driver’s license. Since then, very long lines have lined up under the DMV offices.

According to the New York State DMV, the Driver Access and Confidentiality Act (or Green Light Act) was passed on June 17th. Department staff began to receive crowds of people who wanted to get rights in the early hours of December 16, when the law came into force.

To cope with the flow, the department hired an additional 300 employees. “The number is increasing every few days. We actively hire (employees. - Ed.). At least 270 of these new hires are based in New York and Long Island, ”said Lisa Kumjian, DMV's assistant public relations commissioner.

Along with the urgent need for new staff, she added, there was a demand for an increase in space. The department uses any corner of the room where physical workplaces can be placed.

How DMV Offices Now Work

Staff - both new and old - have gone through extensive training to learn the Green Light Law, Kumjian added.

Offices in Long Island and New York now open from 7:30 am, an hour earlier than before. “We do see most of the clients in the morning,” she said.

Kumdzhyan could not immediately say which departments of the department are most popular, but noted that offices on Long Island and New York as a whole are the most visited.

Green light law

The Green Light Act allows all New Yorkers over the age of 16 to apply for a standard driver’s license or student permit. The presence of legal residence status or US citizenship does not matter.

Those who have never been given a social security number are also eligible to apply. To do this, you need to: sign a confirmation that they have never been given such a number; present other forms of evidence, including a valid or invalid document issued by the consulate; a valid foreign driver’s license including a photo that has expired; a permanent resident card whose validity has not expired or expired less than 24 months ago; work permit card; border crossing map; municipal photo ID; a record of marriage or divorce abroad or a decision issued by a court to change the name, or a foreign birth certificate.

Immigration lawyers in Long Island applauded the measure the day many people first got their undocumented licenses. “It took courage, not politics, to see it through,” said Minerva Perez, executive director of the East End Latin American Organization (OLA), after lawmakers passed the law. “More than anything, my message encourages all of us to work together to make this a success for New York. Don't gloat. But to really work together, as much as New Yorkers can. Then we will be successful. "

It is known that many opponents of the new law believe that lawmakers are not concerned about the safety of New Yorkers. Peres commented on this: “Of course, they care. This is ... safety concern. And nothing more. It's not about politics. This is a non-partisan issue. ”

Despite the victory, human rights groups indicated that the first day was not without some confusion. “We all knew this day was going to be full of unrest,” said Mary Beth Moore, who works with immigrants in Hampton Bays through Centro Corazon de Maria on December 16, and is chair of Neighbors In Support of Immigrants in Hampton Bays. ... “We knew that and couldn't find a way to prevent it from happening,” she added.

According to her, the traffic police was not ready for the huge number of people who come here. She also said that she sees how traffic inspectors are trying to cope with the “wave of desire and need for licenses today.”

On the subject: Queues for a few blocks: how illegal New Yorkers rush to get a driver’s license

She and other lawyers in the East End are working to educate undocumented people. In particular, they distribute leaflets with information on what to bring in order to obtain a license. “However, there was no way to deal with hundreds of people on the first day,” she said.

Mary Beth Moore added: “This is a good 'problem'. People who had been waiting for years for this, she said, were lining up before dawn. “It's a very positive, very joyful thing,” Sister Moore said. “This is the first good thing that has happened to immigrants since 1986,” she added, referring to when President Ronald Wilson Reagan signed into law a sweeping reform of the immigration system.

In addition, Sister Moore added: “In the East End, where I live and work, people go without a license because there is no other way to survive, bring their children to school and work. This is security for everyone. Damn politics. ”

“It's time to put things in order”

Martha Maffei of SEPA Mujer is the only Latino immigrant women's rights organization on Long Island with offices in Patchhog, Huntington Station, Riverhead and Hampton Base. She said the group is working to provide education for those who are about to apply for a license. The organization even sends volunteers with them to local DMV offices to help them. “Finally it has become a reality and it's exciting. People in line are waiting for us from 4 am, ”she said.

Sister Margaret Smith of the Spanish Apostolic District of North Work in Riverhead agreed that this is a good measure for everyone, ensuring that everyone has the same road safety. “Hopefully this puts all drivers in a more responsible position, not just immigrants - people who drive without a license. It's time to put things in order. "

Sister Smith said that the feeling of happiness is that people who previously could not, for example, take their sick children to the doctor, now have the opportunity. She added that her organization is also hard at work on training, helping people make appointments in advance and collect the necessary documentation.

True, there are negative points. Now the waiting time in DMV offices is longer: until March in Riverhead and a little less in places like Port Jefferson, she added.

But in any case, Smith noted, there is a sense of relief: "Everyone had the same problems:" How do I get to work? "Or" How to stop worrying that they will stop me. " And now the general euphoria has begun. ”

Sister Smith concluded by saying that training will be held in the East End to apply this knowledge. “It was a good day and it will continue until everyone gets a license,” she said.

Situation to date

According to Green Light NY, 12 states across the country currently issue driver's licenses for undocumented drivers. "New York lags behind California and Washington, as well as our neighbors in Connecticut and Vermont as a national leader in immigrant rights," the organization said, adding that "access to a driver's license is urgently needed." - Without a license, immigrants cannot get to work by car, buy food, take their children to school or hospital. When immigrants do not have access to rights, routine traffic stops can lead to deportation and family separation. What's more, renewing immigrant licenses will make our roads safer and strengthen New York's economy. ”

According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Green Light Act grants rights to New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, and can help 265 people get a driver’s license throughout the state.

New York University said licenses are crucial because any meeting with the police for illegal immigrants could lead to arrest or even deportation. Proponents of this measure also said that granting rights would make roads safer and allow all drivers to be insured.

As noted in the New York Civil Liberties Union, issuing a driver’s license can be a boon to the economy of the whole country. At the same time, the Fiscal Policy Institute calculated that this step could mean the injection of $ 57 million in annual revenue and $ 27 million of one-time revenue into the budget.

At the same time, many New Yorkers were outraged by the long lines that formed under the DMV offices. They say that now it has become much more difficult for them to solve simple tasks in the department.