Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling, the matter involving driver licenses for deferred action recipients remains before the court. ADOT is advising DREAMERs that at this time, driver licenses are not available to any recipient of deferred action for childhood arrivals.
Illegal alien youth are advised not to visit ADOT Motor Vehicle Division offices seeking licenses at this time.
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Gov. Jan Brewer’s request to prevent DREAMERs from getting drive’s licenses.
Illegal alien youth will be allowed to receive driver’s licenses in Arizona while the Supreme Court considers whether or not to hear an appeal of a Ninth Circuit ruling in Arizona Dream Act Coalition v. Brewer, a lawsuit challenging the state’s denial of licenses to immigrants who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) under a federal program.
Arizona had asked the high court to stay the Ninth Circuit Court’s mandate while it considered Arizona’s request for certiorari, or judicial review of the federal appeals court ruling in the case.
The Supreme Court’s denial of Arizona’s stay motion opens the way for the state’s district court to issue a preliminary injunction prohibiting Arizona from continuing to deny driver’s licenses to DACA recipients. Once the district court enters an injunction, the young immigrants would be allowed to receive driver’s licenses.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the NILC, the MALDEF, and the ACLU of Arizona challenged the executive order and related policies in court, alleging that the ban violates DACA recipients’ constitutional right to equal protection under the law as well as the principles of federal supremacy in the area of immigration policy and law.