On Thursday, Judge David Campbell of the Maricopa County Superior Court, acting on an order from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, ordered the state of Arizona to issue drivers licenses to Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beginning on Monday. Merry Christmas! Judge: Arizona dreamers can apply for licenses Monday:
Young immigrants known as dreamers will be able to begin applying for driver’s licenses on Monday, according to a court ruling handed down Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge David G. Campbell.
Campbell issued a preliminary injunction ordering Arizona to stop denying driver’s licenses to young immigrants known as dreamers.
The ruling means the state is now compelled to begin allowing dreamers who have received work permits through President Barack Obama’s 2012 deferred action program to apply for driver’s licenses.
George Wallace in a dress, Governor Jan Brewer, is sounding like a deranged parrot squawking “States rights! States rights! Awk!”
[I]n a statement issued Thursday evening, the outgoing governor made it clear she is not giving up the fight yet.
“The right to determine who is issued a driver license is reserved for the states – not the federal government or an unelected judiciary,” she said in the statement..
“It is important to remember that courts have yet to consider the full merits of the case, and I believe that Arizona will ultimately prevail. Consequently, I have instructed my legal team to move forward in pursuing a full review of this matter before the United States Supreme Court as soon as possible.”
George Wallace Jan Brewer is like the Black Knight in Monty Python and Holy Grail:
King Arthur: [after Arthur’s cut off both of the Black Knight’s arms] Look, you stupid bastard, you’ve got no arms left!
Black Knight: Yes I have.
King Arthur: Look!
Black Knight: It’s just a flesh wound.
Someone this detached from reality and driven by such hatred and spite has no business being the governor of a state. When Governor Brewer leaves office on January 5th it should be a state holiday for celebration and rejoicing: Ding Dong the Witch is gone! The Witch is Gone! The Witch is gone! Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is gone! with dancing in the streets.
In his ruling, Campbell said the order will take effect on Monday to give the state enough time to notify its employees.
Campbell also explicitly noted that the ruling applies to all dreamers in Arizona who have received work permits through Obama’s deferred action program, not just the ones who filed a lawsuit challenging the ban.
More than 22,000 immigrants have been approved for the program.
“This is a a really happy day for us and it came just in time for the holidays. Arizona dreamers are finally going to be able to drive,” said Jennifer Chang Newell, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project.
A group of dreamers are making plans to go to a Motor Vehicles Division office on Monday and apply together for their licenses, said Erika Andiola, of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition.
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The state has spent more than $1.5 million in outside legal fees defending the driver’s-license ban, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. An ADOT official declined to make an immediate comment.
I have not researched the numbers, but I am fairly certain that Governor Brewer has lost more lawsuits than any of her predecessor governors. She has only enriched Republican lawyers who handle her ideological temper tantrums against the federal “guvmint” at the expense of Arizona taxpayers. Jan Brewer has been a disaster for Arizona.
Governor-elect Doug Ducey should put an end to Brewer’s abuse of power and quit pissing away taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits in pursuit of a right-wing ideological agenda. Even the editors of The Arizona Republic agree with me on this one. Advice for Ducey: Learn from Brewer’s costly mistake. Shocking, I know!
While I am happy to see them finally getting licenses, I hope they remember they also need to buy insurance.
And register to vote!
There was a story on one of the local news sites and it said something along the lines of: ADOT says that offices will be more crowded because of immigrants getting licenses. Really? When has a DMV office NOT been a mad house? Idiots.
Congratulations new drivers…be careful out there. People are nuts!
If they register to vote, then they need to be arrested. In your enthusiasm, did you forget that they are still here illegally? They are only given a reprieve on deportation, not made citizens.
🙂 🙂 just wanted to see if you were paying attention!! Glad to see you clicking on all cylinders:)
Sorry, Cheri. One still has to be a citizen to vote. Deferral status or even permanent residency status does not confer the right to vote.
welcome to our newest american drivers! soon they will be cutting people off and running them off the road and texting while driving like true arizonian americans!