Securing a driver’s license can be important for a person’s career. Without reliable transportation, individuals may struggle to maintain well-paid positions. Additionally, simply caring for family members can be difficult without a driver’s license. Medical appointments, school drop-off and grocery shopping become much more difficult to manage without independent transportation.
Thankfully, Minnesota adopted the Driver’s License For All program in recent years. Under new state statutes, individuals who can prove their identity with two valid forms of identification and who can pass the mandatory tests for a driver’s license can secure driving privileges regardless of their immigration status.
Many people could benefit from this program but may feel anxious about seeking a license due to privacy concerns. They may worry about immigration authorities gaining access to their personal information or police officers identifying them as an undocumented immigrant during a traffic stop. The privacy protections built into the law protect those seeking licenses in Minnesota.
The state should not release private information
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division must adhere to strict rules regarding privacy protections for those with driver’s licenses. Any personal information included on applications for driver’s licenses or state-issued identification cards has legal protection under state statutes.
The Driver and Vehicle Services division privately stores the documents submitted during an application. No other government agency can access or share those records. Additionally, the Driver and Vehicle Services division does not keep a list of undocumented drivers. Neither federal nor state authorities can simply access a database and identify everyone who secured a driver’s license as an immigrant.
The driver’s license looks the same
The second major privacy concern many immigrants have is the possibility of federal immigration authorities or state law enforcement agents automatically identifying them as undocumented immigrants due to the appearance of their license. However, licenses secured through this new law appear identical to traditional driver’s licenses. There is also no information printed on the license indicating an individual’s immigration status.
Immigrants who need driving privileges to take care of their families may benefit from applying for a driver’s license under this new program. The privacy protections built into the law reduce the likelihood of any complications arising due to the sharing of private information or a routine traffic stop that leads to immigration enforcement efforts.