Share this:

Wyoming will now issue drivers licenses for “Dreamer” immigrants

The Wyoming Attorney General's office decided last week to issue driver's licenses to immigrants in the DACA program. (Courtesy of Tom Forst)
The Wyoming Attorney General’s office decided last week to issue driver’s licenses to immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (Courtesy of Tom Forst)
The Wyoming Attorney General’s office decided last week to issue driver’s licenses to immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (Courtesy of Tom Forst)
By Gregory Nickerson
April 8, 2013

In a reversal of policy, Wyoming will begin to issue drivers licenses to young immigrants who are authorized to live and work in the United States. The change will allow immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to take the state driver’s test. Those who pass can drive legally and purchase car insurance.

Until now, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WyDOT) had denied licenses to those enrolled in the DACA program. Under DACA, immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children won’t be prosecuted for a period of two years. (Such immigrants are often known as “Dreamers”.) After registering with DACA, they can get federal work permits and temporary social security numbers that allow them to pay into the Social Security Administration.

For those non-citizens who come to Wyoming on a visa, having a work permit and social security number is all they need to get driver’s licenses. However, WyDOT had withheld licenses from DACA participants on the understanding that they remain in violation of U.S. immigration laws.

The federal executive branch refuted that interpretation in recent documents. That led the ACLU of Wyoming and immigration lawyers Elisabeth Trefonas of Jackson and John Huss of Casper to ask the attorney general’s office for a policy review. The Human Rights Practicum at the University of Wyoming also offered information.

Attorney General Gregory Phillips conferred with Gov. Matt Mead’s office, then made a decision on Friday, April 5th.

News of the change has already made it to Jackson, where DACA enrollees have contacted attorney Elisabeth Trefonas asking when they’ll be able to take their driver’s tests.

“It means they don’t have to look over their shoulder any time they go anywhere. Like their friends, they can work, drive, and act like they belong here,” said Trefonas. “I remember when I was sixteen (and getting a license) was your symbol of freedom. To be approaching your mid twenties and not being able to get yourself to work, it’s got to be a relief.”

The attorney general’s office directed WyDOT to notify its 29 license bureaus about the policy change this week. Assistant attorney general Doug Moench said notification of local WyDOT offices is underway.

Wyoming’s change of position leaves Arizona and Nebraska as the only states still denying drivers licenses to DACA recipients.

Reporter’s note: WyoFile reported on the DACA license issue in the March 19th feature Dreamers seek driver’s licenses in Wyoming. Planet Jackson Hole and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle republished the story under WyoFile’s policy of free content sharing.

— Gregory Nickerson is the government and policy reporter for WyoFile. He writes the Capitol Beat blog. Contact him at greg@wyofile.com.

REPUBLISH THIS STORY: For details on how you can republish this story or other WyoFile content for free, click here.

Gregory Nickerson worked as government and policy reporter for WyoFile from 2012-2015. He studied history at the University of Wyoming. Follow Greg on Twitter at @GregNickersonWY and on www.facebook.com/GregoryNickersonWriter/

Leave a comment

WyoFile's goal is to provide readers with information and ideas that foster constructive conversations about the issues and opportunities our communities face. One small piece of how we do that is by offering a space below each story for readers to share perspectives, experiences and insights. For this to work, we need your help.

What we're looking for: 

  • Your real name — first and last. 
  • Direct responses to the article. Tell us how your experience relates to the story.
  • The truth. Share factual information that adds context to the reporting.
  • Thoughtful answers to questions raised by the reporting or other commenters.
  • Tips that could advance our reporting on the topic.
  • No more than three comments per story, including replies. 

What we block from our comments section, when we see it:

  • Pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish, and we expect commenters to do the same by using their real name.
  • Comments that are not directly relevant to the article. 
  • Demonstrably false claims, what-about-isms, references to debunked lines of rhetoric, professional political talking points or links to sites trafficking in misinformation.
  • Personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats.
  • Arguments with other commenters.

Other important things to know: 

  • Appearing in WyoFile’s comments section is a privilege, not a right or entitlement. 
  • We’re a small team and our first priority is reporting. Depending on what’s going on, comments may be moderated 24 to 48 hours from when they’re submitted — or even later. If you comment in the evening or on the weekend, please be patient. We’ll get to it when we’re back in the office.
  • We’re not interested in managing squeaky wheels, and even if we wanted to, we don't have time to address every single commenter’s grievance. 
  • Try as we might, we will make mistakes. We’ll fail to catch aliases, mistakenly allow folks to exceed the comment limit and occasionally miss false statements. If that’s going to upset you, it’s probably best to just stick with our journalism and avoid the comments section.
  • We don’t mediate disputes between commenters. If you have concerns about another commenter, please don’t bring them to us.

The bottom line:

If you repeatedly push the boundaries, make unreasonable demands, get caught lying or generally cause trouble, we will stop approving your comments — maybe forever. Such moderation decisions are not negotiable or subject to explanation. If civil and constructive conversation is not your goal, then our comments section is not for you. 

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *