Some N.C. immigrants will soon be able to obtain driver’s licenses after months of uncertainty — but advocacy groups are not pleased with the final product.
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is required to issue temporary licenses to certain immigrants, according to a Jan. 17 statement issued by the N.C. Attorney General’s office in response to confusion among local DMV offices.
These immigrants are protected under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy in place since last year, which postpones the deportation of immigrants who entered the country as children.
The DMV will start issuing the licenses March 25, said Greer Beaty, spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Transportation. The licenses will have a pink header and the words “NO LAWFUL STATUS” and “LIMITED TERM” written across the front, Beaty said — a point of contention among immigrant advocacy groups.
Jose Rico, a spokesman for the N.C. DREAM Team, said he opposed the plan.
“They’re creating a second class of citizens,” he said.
Gov. Pat McCrory said in an interview with The (Raleigh) News & Observer that the licenses issued to those protected by the policy must differ significantly in appearance from the standard license.
The federal policy grants renewable two-year work permits to immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16, were younger than 31 as of June 15, 2012 and have served in the military, graduated from high school or are currently in school.
An estimated 18,000 state residents are eligible for this program, according to a report by the Immigration Policy Center. North Carolina is among at least 33 states where officials have confirmed that these immigrants are eligible for licenses.
