New Jersey passes bill allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses

New Jersey
lawmakers passed legislation on Monday to allow immigrants who cannot prove
they’re in the country legally to get driver’s licenses.

The
Democrat-led Assembly and Senate passed the measure after lawmakers delayed
considering the bill until after last month’s election. Democratic Gov. Phil
Murphy has said he supports.

Thirteen
states, including Delaware and New York, and the District of Columbia permit
immigrants without legal status to obtain drivers licenses, according to the
National Conference of State Legislatures.

A 2018 study
from New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive think tank, estimated about
nearly 500,000 residents without documentation are of driving age in New
Jersey.

The
legislation sets up a two-tiered driver’s license system. One license would
conform to federal REAL ID requirements that include proof of legal residency.

Another
license would permit people without a legal status to obtain a license.

The bill has
got vocal support from immigrant rights groups, who lined the corridors of the
statehouse and cheered loudly when the measure passed.

Panel after
panel of witnesses supported the bill when it was in committee this year.

They say the
measure could increase safety because many immigrants without legal
documentation already drive without licenses and insurance. They also argue
that obtaining a license would help people work and provide for their loved
ones.