New law change would make it harder for drivers to get a license after many said they ‘felt unsafe in their own homes’

New law change would make it harder for drivers to get a license after many said they ‘felt unsafe in their own homes’

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A NEW law has been proposed to make it harder to get a driving license after many motorists said they “felt unsafe in their own homes” thanks to a loophole.

Officials say that drivers have been left “very uncomfortable” by what they see as shortcomings in the existing legislation.

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New York lawmakers are looking to tighten rules around undocumented migrants receiving driving licensesCredit: Alamy
Officials estimate that 18,000 people have crossed just a single sector of the Canadian border already this year

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Officials estimate that 18,000 people have crossed just a single sector of the Canadian border already this yearCredit: Getty

Lawmakers in New York have been looking into licensing rules governing undocumented immigrants as a “public safety issue”.

As a northern border town, Canton has seen an influx of new residents from all over the world via Canada.

New York State Senator Dan Stec told reporters that 18,000 have crossed the Swanton Sector of the Canadian border this year alone.

Official figures suggest that most of the new arrivals are of Mexican, Indian or Bangladeshi origin.

Under the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, undocumented migrants are able to apply for a driving license in the state.

In addition, it bans authorities from sharing their records with federal agencies, including ICE.

Known as the Green Light Law, it has been a source of controversy for some time.

Senator Stec and others in the state legislature are now calling for the law to be amended to ban undocumented migrants from receiving licenses in border counties.

Rick Engle, sheriff of St Lawrence County, said: “I’ve had conversations with some of my constituents who live in towns that border the national border.

“I’ve had someone tell me they don’t even feel safe in their own home anymore.

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“It makes people uncomfortable because we don’t know who these people are.”

His comments were echoed by Senator Stec, who added: “[Law enforcement officers] are trying to avoid catastrophe, loss of life on either side.

“They don’t want to put our residents in the wrong place, where they’ve done something wrong or their safety is at risk, or frankly the safety of the people that are crossing illegally.”

The proposed bill will now be considered for adoption in the upcoming legislative session.

It comes as immigration policy was put back on the agenda at the federal level as US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) put forward a bipartisan bill to update the Department of Homeland Security’s strategy at the northern border.

The law would require DHS to ensure better tracking of undocumented migrants and to complete a “northern border threat analysis” every three years.

This would have to include data on the number and demographics of those caught trying to cross the border illegally.

The DHS strategy would then be required to be updated within 90 days of this analysis being completed.

Sen. Gillibrand said: “At the same time, while they smuggle migrants south, they are trafficking guns and drugs from the United States into Canada.

“Until we update our northern border strategy, we will continue to be unprepared and unequipped to address this growing migrant crisis.”

The issue has also drawn national attention with a bill from US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

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The issue has also drawn national attention with a bill from US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)Credit: Alamy



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