Republican challenger in swing New York district blasts 'dangerous' law granting driver's licenses to illegals
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis told Fox News on Wednesday that The Green Light Law, which allows anyone to apply for a driver’s license regardless of immigration status, is “dangerous.”
Speaking on “Fox & Friends” Nicole Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island and is running for Congress, said, “While President Trump is doing everything he can to secure our borders, to keep us safe, to stem the tide of illegal immigration, we have liberal states like New York, like New Jersey that are doing everything they can to incentivize illegal immigration.
“Just this year alone, they passed free college for illegal immigrants, they reduced the sentencing for misdemeanors.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She went on to say, “And now the driver's license bill, which has many flaws and is very dangerous, I think, for the public as a whole.”
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO BE ABLE TO GET DRIVER'S LICENSES IN NY AFTER LEGAL CHALLENGE FAILS
The Green Light Law, which was signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year and went into effect in New York this week, does not require a Social Security number for those applying for a driver’s license.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Illegal immigrants can use a combination of documents that include a valid passport from a foreign country and a valid foreign driver’s license, as long as it has been expired for less than two years.
Undocumented immigrants lined up at some Department of Motor Vehicle offices throughout New York after the law went into effect on Monday.
The controversial measure faced multiple lawsuits. Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns, whose lawsuit was dismissed last month, argued that the measure violated federal law and would make New Yorkers less safe.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Speaking on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning, Malliotakis made that same argument.
NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING LAW GRANTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER'S LICENSES
“We don't really know who we’re giving these ID’s to, particularly if you have the New York Association of County Clerks themselves saying that they don't have the ability, the tools, to verify that the documents that are being provided are genuine,” Malliotakis said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Additionally [the law] requires that they destroy the documents because, as you know, they want to shield illegal immigrants, even those who have been convicted of crimes, from the Trump administration who is trying to remove criminal aliens from our nation.”
Lawmakers in June made New York the 13th state to authorize licenses for drivers without legal immigration status. On Monday, New Jersey lawmakers passed a similar bill.
“They’re actually going to require our DMV employees to participate in aiding and abetting illegal immigrants by actually notifying, they’re requiring to notify the license holder if federal law enforcement is looking for them,” said Malliotakis, who is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Max Rose in 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“So if they’re released by a sanctuary city, they have a conviction and now federal agents are looking for them to have them removed from the country, this actually says, ‘Hey, you have got to give them a heads up that federal law enforcement is looking for you.’ That, to me, is the most difficult part of this law to understand.”
The Department of Homeland Security also warned the law puts law-abiding citizens in danger.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An estimated 265,000 undocumented immigrants are expected to get driver’s licenses within three years, more than half of them in New York City, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.