Over 80 Groups and Organizations Join the Let’s Drive NJ Campaign to Expand Access to Drivers Licenses to More Residents Regardless of Immigration Status

New Jersey–January 24th, 2019–The Let’s Drive NJ campaign announced the support of more than 80 groups and organizations across the state that have joined the effort to expand access to drivers licenses to more residents, regardless of immigration status. The organizations span a diverse range of interests in the state including labor unions, veterans groups, criminal justice, immigrant rights, women’s rights organization, and resistance groups.

This is following support from New Jersey mayors and over 150 small businesses who agree that expanding access to drivers licenses will not only benefit their local economies but also bring much need revenue to the state via license and registration fees. Access to a standard driver’s licenses will also protect immigrant families from the risk of detention and deportations. It is estimated nearly 464,000 residents will benefit from the expansion.

Data show the majority of 2019 likely voters, across party lines, favor legislation that would expand access to drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants with 54% in favor and only 29% opposing.

Residents who are most impacted include undocumented immigrants, survivors of violence, formerly incarcerated, transgender and gender nonconforming, homeless and low-income individuals, and immigrants with insecure status such as DACA recipients and TPS holders.

The broad support for the effort is expected to continue building with legislation introduced in November, A4743/S3229, that will create a  license with stringent requirements for federal REAL ID purposes, and expand access to standard drivers licenses to more residents which could for driving and identification purposes.

Twelve states and Washington, D.C. have expanded access to driver’s licenses to qualified drivers, regardless of immigration status, with similar measures.

New Jersey could become the 13th state to expand access to driver’s licenses in the U.S., following states like California, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia which have successfully implemented similar expansions.More information about the campaign can be found at www.LetsDriveNJ.org

The full list of partner organizations is below.

1199SEIU

32BJ SEIU

Action Together NJ

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey

American Friends Service Committee

Angel for Action Inc.

Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey

Bangladeshi American Women’s Development Initiative (BAWDI)

Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Blue Wave NJ

CAIR-New Jersey – Council on American-Islamic Relations

Camden Coalition

Casa Freehold

Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen

Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark

Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War

Central Jersey Democratic Socialists

Central Unitarian Church of Paramus – Social Action Committee

Centro Comunitario CEUS

Community of Friends in Action

Drug Policy Alliance

El Centro Hispanoamericano

Fair & Welcoming Coalition of Mercer County

Fair and Welcoming Communities Coalition of Somerset County

Faith in New Jersey

First Friends NJ & NY

Force the Issue NJ

FWD.us

Garden State Equality

Glen Rock People Power

Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative

Haiti Solidarity Network of the North East

Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey

Hudson Civic Action

Ironbound Community Corp.

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Latin American Legal Defense & Education Fund (LALDEF)

Latino Action Network

Laundry, Distribution & Food Service Joint Board, Workers United/SEIU

Long Valley Indivisible

Make the Road New Jersey

Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

NAACP New Jersey State Conference

National Council of Jewish Women, West Morris Section

National Organization of Women (NOW) – NJ

New Jersey Citizen Action

New Jersey Communities United

New Jersey Institute of Social Justice

New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association (NJMLA)

New Jersey Policy Perspective

New Jersey Tenants Organization

New Jersey Working Families Alliance

New Labor

NJ-08 for Progress

Not in Our Town Princeton (NiOT)

OASIS

Partners for Women and Justice

People Power Somerset NJ

Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey

Reform Jewish Voice of New Jersey

RU Dreamers

Salvation and Social Justice

SOMA Action

South Jersey Women for Progressive Change

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc.

Temple Ner Tamid

The Farmworker Support Committee (CATA)

The Meta Theatre Company

The Social Responsibilities Council of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood

Union County Young Democrats

Unitarian Society of Ridgewood

United Steelworkers District 4

UU Faith Action NJ

Veterans for American Ideals

Wind of the Spirit