a life change for many

Did you know that learning to drive and having a driver’s license is a privilege we all have, including undocumented people.

Jacqueline Barrios, director of a driving school said:

“I help them, I make appointments here so they can take the exam.”

She and her brother Jeffrey Barrios run this Sunset Park business, which was founded 49 years ago by her father Julio Barrios, a Colombian immigrant.

They serve their clients regardless of their immigration status, complying with the Green Light law, passed in New York since December 2019.

“We try to help the client, we basically speak Spanish with them. We try to make them feel good here with us because we are Hispanic, ”adds Jacqueline

New York is one of the country’s 16 states that grant driver’s licenses to undocumented people. Several city assemblies and organizations such as the New York Immigrant Coalition have fought to make this a reality. Almost 3 years after the bill was passed, Meghan Maloney of Zaldivar, NYIC’s Director of Organization and Strategy, told us:

“Having access to a driver’s license in New York has allowed many people to be part of the community, to be able to drive safely, to pick up their children from school, to get medical examinations and also to be able to buy a car or insuring your own car to be part of the community “.

Queens Congresswoman Jessica González-Rojas told us about the difference depending on where you live:

“In New York City we had a small privilege because we have a mass transit system, but in many parts of the rest of the state it didn’t exist. Just using a car without a license, driving it, going to church, going to the doctor, going to work and the police caught you driving without a license, they would have arrested you ”.

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles has a list of minimum requirements for applying for a standard driver’s license. These include:

A valid passport

An identification of the country of origin

A valid driving license, including from the country of origin

· And a proof of address in New York.

Also, the driving test questions should be studied.

For complete information, visit greenlightnewyork.org