NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — After the state Senate approved it and Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law Monday, New York became the 13th state to allow driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
The vote in the state Senate was 33-29.
Supporters said undocumented immigrants are driving anyway and giving them a license makes the highways safer since those drivers will have to get insurance.
Gov. Cuomo signed the bill after he received assurances from the Attorney General that information on these drivers will not be used by ICE.
State Senator Michael Gianaris of Queens believes the bill is the right thing, saying, “The fact is people who are not citizens do get licenses today, if they have green cards, if they’re TPS holders or DACA recipients, they have driver’s licenses, they’re not running around organizing some massive voter fraud operation. The fact is that people who are here undocumented are scared to do anything illegal.
Opponents in Albany, mostly Republicans, are saying this measure rewards people who broke the law to come to come to our country.
A Siena poll taken last week found 53 percent of New Yorkers opposed the bill while 41 percent supported it.