50% of California Licenses Granted in 2015 were Given to Illegal Immigrants

Last year, the California Department of Motor Vehicles approved 1.4 million new driver’s licenses. A whopping 605,000 of them went to illegal immigrants. The program granting AB 60 licenses was started in January 2015 with the 2013 passage of Assembly Bill 60, The Safe and Responsible Driver Act. Under this law, any eligible California resident can apply for a driver’s license, regardless of their immigration status.

This program has caused an influx of traffic at California DMVs this year, which Artemio Armenta, spokesman for the Department of Motor Vehicles, said they “were surprised for, but not unprepared.” However, the citizens waiting in the long lines as these illegal immigrants apply for licenses, would respectfully disagree.

“It certainly overloads the system,” said Ann Coil, the Santa Ana Tea Party Patriots coordinator. Visiting DMVs is already a dreaded activity and the lines have reported to be longer than ever, which is inconveniencing citizens who have the legal right to live in the country.

“There is concern in this country, and it’s reflected in this election, that there’s more compassion for people who are not citizens than those who are,” said Coil. This program was implemented to promote safer roads in the state. But, this is at the cost of the local American citizens. Since when should illegals be given preferential treatment?

The website HotAir reported that the American Civil Liberties Union has published a program guide on their website. This “guide” points out the risks of applying for the licenses and gives advice to convicted felons and illegal immigrants with a record of gang-related activity or with three or more misdemeanor offenses.

The licenses look similar to regular ones, minus the text on the front that says “Federal Limits Apply” and a statement on the back of the card that says it is “not acceptable for official federal purposes.” Luckily, this means that these illegals with these types of licenses can’t vote. But, should they be allowed to use roads, that they are not paying the taxes to maintain them?