Should an undocumented immigrant be able to obtain a driver's license? One state just passed legislation that gives them that right. Brut spoke to the bill's sponsor about how this move will help families.
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00:00We saw immigrant families in tears.
00:12We watched them react with complete jubilation at the fact that the impossible was possible.
00:21They come here and bring opportunities, they bring a vital workforce, they invest in small
00:29businesses, they culturally diverse our communities, they build up neighborhoods that have been
00:34abandoned by others.
00:35This common sense piece of legislation will empower hundreds of thousands of residents
00:41in our state and family members who need to get around, who are an important part of the
00:45workforce of our state.
01:03The fact that so many advocates, so many immigrants put themselves at risk and mobilize on behalf
01:07of their brethren, I believe that this sends a national message that we need to do more
01:13to respond to this anti-immigrant fervor coming from Washington, D.C.
01:18We have millions of people living in our nation who are contributing in all sectors and aspects
01:23of life, who need clarity on their status, need a pathway to citizenship.
01:29That is the only solution that will make sense for our country.
01:47I was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico, makes me a citizen by birth, but my father was an
01:51undocumented immigrant from Peru.
01:54He always had a driver's license and my father contributed economically as a small, independent
01:58contractor.
01:59I realized that I was privileged, that I never had to fear, as this generation's immigrant
02:04families do, that my father could be pulled over for a traffic infraction and deported
02:09or separated from his family.
02:11We've seen countless examples of that taking place across the country, especially in this
02:16political climate, and we wanted to make sure that immigrants in the state of New York know
02:21that we stand by them.