Iowa DOT denies driver’s licenses to executive amnesty recipients

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it will not give driver’s licenses or state identification cards to illegal aliens who receive executive amnesty under the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DOT officials said Iowa law does not allow them to issue licenses or other ID to those who are not authorized to be present in the United States.The agency said in a statement that it “understands the exercising of this prosecutorial discretion by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security does not grant lawful status or a lawful immigration path to persons granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status. Rather, it is prosecutorial discretion extended in a blanket fashion to persons who are not lawfully authorized to be present in the United States.”DOT officials said the decision was based on guidelines issued by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on June 15th. The Iowa Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union had written DOT asking for a decision on the matter.The Iowa ACLU’s legal director, Randall Wilson, said “It seems to me they are arguing about angels dancing on the head of a pin here. These people have been granted status to stay in the United States for a period of time, and whether you want to call it illegal, legal or indeterminate, it doesn’t matter. They are here, so this issue needs to be addressed, either legislatively or in the courts.” The ACLU has sued Arizona and Michigan over decisions to deny licenses.A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said that the governor believes state officials should always follow Iowa law, and that he would “carefully consider any legislation that arrived at his desk,” should the legislature decide to make changes. Sen. Robert Hogg, the Chairman of the Iowa Senate Judiciary Committee, said he has no immediate plans to pursue related legislation.Read here for more information.