News & Commentary

Recently, the ACLU of Southern California participated in an event in Kern County on AB 60, California’s new Safe and Responsible Driver Act. The act, which went into effect on Jan. 2, 2015, permits any eligible Californian to obtain a driver license, regardless of immigration status.

The excitement in the room over the AB 60 license and its importance to the community was palpable. The event, organized by the State Bar of California and hosted by Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez, was standing room only. Over 350 people were in attendance.

This is my family’s American Dream story. I am a divorced, single mother, and an undocumented immigrant. I have resided in the United States for almost 30 years.

It’s a month since AB 60 – The Safe and Responsible Driver Act went into effect: since then, all eligible Californians can apply for a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. This is a huge victory that immigrants and advocates fought for over two decades.

The Obama administration’s decision eight months ago to massively expand the detention of immigrant families with children means that more newborns, toddlers, and young children will suffer imprisonment for no good reason inside dangerous detention facilities.

When I met Milagro* and her toddlers, they were facing imminent deportation to Honduras – a near certain death sentence in light of the extreme violence they would face there. But now they have hope.

In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill to that allows all eligible Californians to apply for a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. AB 60 means that our friends, brothers, sisters, parents, and neighbors will be able to drive without fear of having their cars impounded, being ticketed, or left stranded by the side of the road for not having a license.

Immigration as a legal issue is so complicated in and of itself. But when you add people’s real-life experiences, it becomes even more so. So I think it is worthwhile for us to explore the answer to one of the most complicated questions: should I apply for an AB 60 license?

The mass detention of families is cruel, unnecessary, and unconstitutional. The Obama administration should stop using families as pawns and restore basic due process so that no mother or child is locked up arbitrarily.

Last month President Obama announced his decision to shelter certain immigrants from deportation through executive action. This was a step in the right direction and a win for advocates and the immigrant community. But while we welcome President Obama’s move, we’re still concerned by the countless problems that continue to plague our immigration system.