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Ever since Maribel Solache began teaching her own version of driver’s ed in Spanish two years ago, the classes — held around San Diego County — have been jammed. But lately, apprehension has smothered that enthusiasm.
“More people come with fear. They say ‘what is going to happen to my information?’ ” she said. “I tell them they have to get (their driver licenses) before January 20. Before Donald Trump.”
Her students are undocumented immigrants.
So is Solache, who took her license test on the day in January of 2015 the state began offering it to immigrants here illegally. Since then, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reports it has issued more than 792,000 licenses to undocumented drivers.
Now, however, California is preparing for the possibility that the administration of President-elect Donald Trump — who campaigned on a promise to deport at least 2 million people — might demand access to various state databases that would reveal the names and locations of undocumented immigrants, such as the one maintained by the DMV.
But in a state where Democrats hold the governor’s office and supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, lawmakers say if the Trump administration does come knocking, their answer will be a vociferous “no.” That would likely kick off what could be a protracted fed-versus-state legal battle — one in which people on both sides predict their argument would prevail.
“We’re consulting with our lawyers to make sure (data) is not accessible to federal authorities for any deportation proceedings,” said Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles).
As the new Legislature was sworn in earlier this month, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said California has a larger population of undocumented immigrants than any other state “and if you want to get to them, you have to go through us.”
“More people come with fear. They say ‘what is going to happen to my information?’ ” she said. “I tell them they have to get (their driver licenses) before January 20. Before Donald Trump.”
Her students are undocumented immigrants.
So is Solache, who took her license test on the day in January of 2015 the state began offering it to immigrants here illegally. Since then, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reports it has issued more than 792,000 licenses to undocumented drivers.
Now, however, California is preparing for the possibility that the administration of President-elect Donald Trump — who campaigned on a promise to deport at least 2 million people — might demand access to various state databases that would reveal the names and locations of undocumented immigrants, such as the one maintained by the DMV.
But in a state where Democrats hold the governor’s office and supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, lawmakers say if the Trump administration does come knocking, their answer will be a vociferous “no.” That would likely kick off what could be a protracted fed-versus-state legal battle — one in which people on both sides predict their argument would prevail.
“We’re consulting with our lawyers to make sure (data) is not accessible to federal authorities for any deportation proceedings,” said Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles).
As the new Legislature was sworn in earlier this month, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said California has a larger population of undocumented immigrants than any other state “and if you want to get to them, you have to go through us.”
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