Invalidating out-of-state driver’s licenses for undocumented residents won’t make Wyoming’s roads any safer, but it will make the state more inhospitable to immigrants.
The ACLU of Wyoming opposes House Bill 116, legislation that would prohibit undocumented immigrants from driving vehicles using licenses issued in other states. A driver using these out-of-state licenses could be penalized with a citation for driving without a license. The bill is scheduled to be discussed in the House Corporations Committee after the noon recess today.
“The roads are safer if everyone using them has passed a driver’s test and is licensed. States that have extended driving privileges to undocumented residents have seen the positive effect it can have on traffic,” said Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director. “But House Bill 116, in undermining the validity of driver’s licenses, would make Wyoming roads less safe. This is because driver’s licenses promote public safety. This anti-immigrant bill does not make our state any safer or any better.”
While Wyoming hasn’t extended driving privileges to undocumented residents, 19 others states and the District of Columbia have. While the issuance of driver’s licenses in other states does not obligate Wyoming to issue identification to undocumented people, banning Wyoming from recognizing these lawfully-obtained licenses is concerning because it requires the state deviate from its commitments and obligations to recognize the validity of driver’s licenses issued by other U.S. states and jurisdictions.
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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