While New Yorkers were lining up outside DMV offices on Monday for the first day under a new law that restored driver’s licenses for all regardless of immigration status, similar history was also taking place next door in New Jersey. There, legislation that will also expand driver’s license access to undocumented residents passed the state legislature and is on its way to the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy, who has said he will sign it.
As in New York, the victory is the result of tireless work by advocates, who have been pushing for this legislation for years. In video shared by immigrant rights advocacy group Make the Road New Jersey, a crowded room burst into cheers and applause following the bill’s Senate passage. Some are seen wiping away tears as the room breaks out in chants of, "Sí se pudo,” or, “Yes, it can be done.”
NorthJersey.com reports that, according to the think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, the legislation stands to affect as many as 338,000 undocumented immigrants within the first three years following its enactment. Among them is Margarita Rodriguez, who told NorthJersey.com that she couldn’t remember how many times she skipped sleep after her graveyard shifts to lobby for the legislation at the state house in Trenton. She was there on Monday too.
“We want our representatives to know that we are here, the people are present and that we need it," she said. She said that her youngest child has a medical condition that requires regular visits to a specialist, but because she can’t legally drive, what would take at most half an hour by car requires a two-hour ride on the bus. This bill isn’t just about letting folks drive legally; it’s about improving lives.
"It doesn’t matter our immigration status,” Rodriguez said. “We still have the right to a life with dignity and respect. Just like anybody else, we work here and we pay taxes.” Other advocates used the #LetsDriveNJ hashtag on Twitter to celebrate their historic victory.
“The people of New Jersey made history today, and our state will be stronger once this common-sense reform becomes a reality,” Farrin Anello of the ACLU New Jersey said in a statement. “Expanding driver’s license access to every qualified person strengthens public safety, bolsters our economy, and, most importantly, treats all New Jersey residents with dignity and respect. When all drivers in New Jersey are licensed and insured, everyone benefits.”
Gov. Murphy is expected to sign the bill soon. “Is it good for the folks who will now have access to the licenses? Absolutely,” he told NJ.com. “I’ve heard scores, if not hundreds, of stories of the life they lead now in the absence of licenses. But … it’s good for all of us. The states that have done this are safer on the roads. Period.”