Almost Half of 2015 California’s Driver Licenses Were for Undocumented Immigrants

In January of 2015, a new law in California went into effect allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver’s license. Under this new law, 605,000 undocumented residents were able to receive licenses, which made up for 40% of all licenses issued in the state of California for 2015.

So far, according to U.S. Immigration Bonds and Insurance Services, it seems as if the numbers will only grow in the New Year, as 830,000 undocumented immigrants have applied for a license since the start of 2016 alone. Each of these licenses are similar to a standard driver’s license, except for the fact that they say “Federal Limits Apply” on the back.

The response has far exceeded California’s expectations for the law change, requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles to hire 1,000 temporary employees, as well as opening four new license processing centers and extending office hours for the DMV. Nationwide immigration bonds services hopes that by issuing licenses, it will make it easier to identify undocumented residents wherever they go, as well as help make the detainment process a little easier since millions of immigrants will now how licenses with their picture and information included.

The state of California has one of the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in the country, with Senator Isadore Hall III, D-Compton stating in his interview with the Los Angeles Times that, “California is a place of inclusion.”

These numbers come at a time when the subject of immigration reform is front and center as a focal point in the 2016 presidential campaign, with a heated nationwide discussion going on between both political parties on what the best course of action for immigration reform would be. Our nationwide immigration bondsmen are curious as to the effect that issuing licenses to undocumented immigrants will have on the economy, ICE detainments, and society.