County clerks in New York are protesting the state’s new “Green Light Bill” by refusing to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Monday, allowing illegal immigrants to receive state-issued driver’s licenses. Clerks in four counties say they will not abide by the bill when it goes into effect in six months, according to the New York Post.
“In the memo of the bill, they talk about the reason why they’re passing this bill is to make sure that people who are here illegally can get to and from work,” county clerk Michael Kerns said. “It is illegal to hire people in the state of New York or anywhere that are here illegally.”
“There’s an inconsistency there,” Kerns added.
The law allows residents to use passports from other countries and other documents to prove their identity and receive a state-issued driver’s license. The law has drawn national attention and criticism from Republicans. Republican New York state Sen. Thomas F. O’Mara said the law will make New York a “haven for lawbreakers.”
Cuomo has the authority to fire county clerks, though it is not clear what repercussions, if any, the clerks pledging not to abide by the law will face. State Attorney General Letitia James has promised to defend the law in court, should it be challenged.
