The American Civil Liberties Union in Iowa is asking the Iowa Department of Transportation Director, Paul Trombino, to decide whether or not young immigrants who have been granted with deferred action status are to be allowed to obtain state IDs as well as other drivers’ licenses.
On October 17th, the attorney of the American Civil Liberties of Iowa, Rita Bettis, wrote Trombino a letter that outlined the deferred action for childhood arrivals program designed by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and explained how the issue is related to the REAL ID act as well as the state law amendments that are to come into effect early in 2013.
“The young Iowa residents considering whether to apply for a ‘deferred action’ deserve to know whether the Iowa DOT considers them eligible for drivers licenses and non-operable IDs before they begin the process, especially since being able to drive is often necessary to maintaining employment,” Bettis said.
She added that they had looked at the law and believed that those people with approved “deferred action” status were indeed eligible, though they wanted the director to confirm their understanding in writing in order to make sure that everyone who is contemplating applying for “deferred action” will be aware of what they can expect.
The REAL ID act needs states to verify the legal status of an applicant in the United States before they can obtain a driver’s license or personal ID card.