LOS ANGELES, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of U.S. state of California announced Wednesday it had issued more than 1 million special driver licenses to illegal immigrants in accordance with a state law taking effect in January 2015.
The law, Assembly Bill 60, requires the DMV to issue driver licenses if applicants can prove their identity and California residency, show documents of insurance, as well as meet all testing requirements, regardless of whether they can show they are in the country lawfully.
These licenses, renewable after five years, are marked with the words: "federal limits apply," meaning that they cannot be used by immigrants as federal identification, for example, getting through airport security.
More than 600,000 undocumented immigrants in California obtained the special driver licenses in the first year of implementation, according to the DMV. As of March 30 this year, about 1,001,000 immigrants had obtained the licenses.
Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, who authored the bill as a state assemblyman in 2013, was quoted by local KTLA 5 news channel as saying that the number is a win for all Californians since the law has significantly improved road safety by reducing hit-and-run accidents.
"It's been a true success story for our immigrant families, for our roads and our economy," said Alejo. "It certainly has resulted in immigrants having a better life by no longer being in fear that they're going to get their cars impounded or being put in deportation proceedings for something as simple as not having their license."
He also said the measure benefits the local economy as the illegal immigrants can use the special driver licenses to buy vehicles, auto insurance and rent cars.
However, critics argued the law grants undocumented immigrants a privilege they don't deserve and makes it easier for them to skirt federal laws preventing undocumented immigrants from being employed.
