Author: Law Office of Alena Shautsova
Despite the fact that Alabama’s stiff immigration law followed in step with the stringent immigration law passed in Arizona, unlike Arizona, Alabama decided to issue drivers licenses to immigrants under DACA. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and allows children who were brought illegally to the United States by their immigrant parents to obtain deferred action. Children immigrants must meet certain qualifications to receive DACA certification, such as being within certain age limits and having no criminal record.
The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the Alabama Department of Public Safety decided to honor DACA certifications and on March 15 began testing drivers and issuing licenses. The licenses immigrants receive have the letters “FN” on them, which stands for “foreign national” and is the same designation that all Alabama licenses carry which are issued to immigrants legally present in the United States. Immigrants started to receive DACA certifications from the federal government for some weeks now, but individual states had the right to make their own decisions about issuing driver’s licenses. Some issued licenses immediately, others refused to issue licenses and many wanted to review information before reaching a decision. An estimated 631 immigrants received approved DACA certification in Alabama, but more are expected, as many as 1,500.
If you live in the state of New York and have problems with DACA certification, face deportation or have other immigration issues, consult a New York immigration lawyer. By obtaining a knowledgeable attorney who knows immigration laws and stays current with all the recent changes in laws, you improve your chances of a achieving your immigration goals.