California lawmakers want to make sure every immigrant group is aware of their rights under Assembly Bill 60, the two-week-old law granting undocumented immigrants the right to legally attain a driver's license. On Tuesday, they emphasized its importance beyond the Hispanic community.
"This is not just a Latino issue, and (Asian and Pacific Islander) issue or a California issue," Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, said in speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle. "This is an American issue, we need to do everything possible so that every person in this country, whether documented or not, has the same rights as the rest of us."
An estimated 416,000 Asians in California are undocumented. Of more than 11 million in the United States, 1.3 million are from Asia, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Luckily, organizations such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles and Filipino Migrant Center are available to help potential drivers in attaining licenses.
"Everybody has the right to drive to work," Ting said. "Everybody has the right to driver their kids to school and, most importantly, everybody has the right to drive their grandmother to the mall." Ting was referring to comments Jose Antonio Vargas - a Filipino-born journalist - made about showing his grandmother his temporary license.
The Department of Motor Vehicles, which expects to receive 1.4 million applications within the program's first year, had just over 46,000 undocumented immigrants apply between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8. About 10,000 licenses were issued in the program's first week. First-time driver's license appointments have doubled compared to the same time last year.
To prepare, the DMV opened four new offices, hired 900 additional employees, and extended hours of operation. In addition to verifying foreign identification and proof of residence in the U.S., the DMV is checking up on licenses an individual may have used under a different name or Social Security number.
Applicants won't be penalized but will be referred to a DMV investigator. Immigration advocates urge these individuals to consult an attorney before applying.