ALBANY – The State Police PBA is against proposed “greenlight legislation” that would allow the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and hamper troopers’ abilities to access identifying information, the union said.
The proposal has the backing of Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson and other immigration and social conscience groups.
“This is dangerous and extremist legislation,” said PBA President Thomas Mungeer. “It flies in the face of proponents of the bill who are touting this as a highway safety measure.”
The PBA said it is a public safety issue to have unlicensed drivers on the roads. “We will always encourage a higher level of safety for New York and will support initiatives to make it a safer and more secure place in which to live,” Mungeer said. “Furthermore, allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses using less stringent identification than the minimum security standards for state residents seeking a license is an insult.”
The union president said even more troubling in the proposed legislation is the caveat that would require troopers and law enforcement officers to obtain a subpoena to run plates or look up a driver’s license – “and if that weren’t troubling enough, the proposal also states that we must notify the individual before doing so.”
