Arizona Ban on Driver's Licenses for Some Undocumented Immigrants Struck Down

iStock/Thinkstock(PHOENIX) — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Arizona cannot deny driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants granted worker permits.

The ruling is a setback for Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer, who signed an executive order to prevent the migrants from being able to drive.

Brewer, who has fought tooth and nail with the Obama administration on immigration issues affecting her state, said in a statement, “It is outrageous, though not entirely surprising, that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has once again dealt a blow to Arizona’s ability to enforce its laws.”

The governor said that the ruling would not be the end of it while also heaping blame on the White House for creating conditions that have led to a recent flood of undocumented immigrants from Central America.

However, Dan Pochoda, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said the court’s decision is a win “for the DREAMERS — many DREAMERS — who clearly have been very much harmed by this policy, this vindictive policy by the governor.”

In 2012, President Obama created a deferred-action program for qualifying people under 30 brought to the U.S. as minors to apply for work permits that would allow them to stay for two years without the threat of deportation.

On the day the program was instituted, Brewer signed an order to deny driver’s licenses or other benefits to anyone obtaining authorization under the program.


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