PA undocumented workers could lose driver's license under new rule

Immigration lawyers are protesting Pennsylvania’s effort to take drivers licenses away from immigrants who have been here for years but whose applications didn’t include Social Security numbers. They say the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s actions punish people who did provide federal I-D numbers, before new policies requiring Social Security numbers came into effect.

Immigration lawyers are protesting Pennsylvania’s effort to take driver’s licenses away from immigrants who have been here for years but whose applications didn’t include Social Security numbers. They say the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s actions punish people who did provide federal I-D numbers, before new policies requiring Social Security numbers came into effect.

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[audio: 090611tmlicense.mp3]

Since PennDOT started its review in 2007, the agency has found 45 thousand driver’s-license applications without social security numbers.

Immigration lawyers say they are considering a class action suit to prevent the state from revoking the licenses of undocumented immigrants. Attorney Jon Landau says the state is going against the tide.

Landau: in the very near future there is going to be some kind of immigration relief for undocumented aliens and its just a question of time.

Landau says the licenses are essential to hard workers who need to drive for their jobs.

PennDoT officials say they weren’t trying to crack down on illegal immigrants, but were trying to make their records more accurate and reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft.

PennDoT has given 21-hundred people until June 19th to provide a Social Security number.