A collection of Republican legislators, both state senators and state representatives, in New Hampshire have issued legislation that would, if passed, invalidate driver’s licenses issued to illegal aliens in both New Hampshire and neighboring states, such as Massachusetts, and make driving in New Hampshire a misdemeanor for illegal aliens.
The legislation was issued by eight GOP state senators and two state representatives, with the bill introduced for the 2024 New Hampshire legislative session as SENATE BILL 358-FN. It amends New Hampshire’s regulation of driver licenses and driver license reciprocity.
Beginning, the amendment provided by the bill says, “Any person who holds a driver license that is of a class of licenses issued by another state exclusively to undocumented immigrants who are unable to prove lawful presence in the United States when the licenses are issued, the driver license, or other permit purporting to authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle on public roadways, is invalid in this state and does not authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state.”
Continuing, it adds, “Such classes of licenses include licenses that are issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants or licenses that are substantially the same as licenses issued to citizens, residents, or those lawfully present in the United States, but have markings establishing that the license holder did not exercise the option of providing proof of lawful presence.”
It then provides for punishment of those illegal aliens caught driving in the state, saying, “Any person who drives a motor vehicle in this state holding a driver license that is of a class of licenses described in paragraph IV shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.”
Continuing, it provides for how the license issue, particularly for other states, will be tracked, providing, “The department, to facilitate the enforcement of this paragraph and to aid in providing notice to the public and visitors of invalid licenses, shall maintain on its website a list of out-of-state classes of driver licenses that are invalid in this state.”
The legislation is aimed primarily at illegal immigrants from Massachusetts and Vermont, both of which have decided to start issuing driving licenses to illegal immigrants. It would also impact illegal immigrants from Rhode Island, which has made illegal immigrants eligible for “driver’s privilege cards,” thus allowing them to legally drive in the state.
Proponents of open borders, providing “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants, or other soft on illegal immigration policies support providing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants because, if pulled over without a driver’s license, illegal immigrants can be charged with that crime and then put in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and potentially deported.
New Hampshire Republicans are also aiming to force state employers to use E-verify, a system that allows matching an employee’s identity with a record in the ICE database, if they have more than 25 employees. They aim to accomplish that through House Bill 1110.
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