Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on DPS Driver License Rule Changes

Statement

Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on DPS Driver License Rule Changes

Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement on the recent DPS rule changes requiring non U.S. citizens to present proof they are in this country legally before being issued an original, renewal or duplicate Texas driver license or identification card.

"I strongly support the recent DPS rule changes that ensure public safety and national security, and am confident the vast majority of Texans feel the same way. Requiring driver license applicants to prove they are in the country legally before issuing them a license is a prudent course of action that most states already follow.

"This policy is no different than what U.S. citizens must do to obtain a driver license in most Mexican states (including Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas) and Canadian provinces. They require foreign nationals to prove their legal immigration status to obtain a driver license, and understandably so," Gov. Perry said.

Texans got a wake up call last year when a federal investigation uncovered a Dallas man who was exploiting a gap in Texas driver license requirements to obtain six-year driver licenses. Nearly 400 foreign nationals, from countries such as Syria, Egypt and Iraq, whose expired visas precluded their receiving licenses in New York and New Jersey where they lived at the time, obtained valid Texas driver licenses.

"Those who criticize these new rules fail to acknowledge the realities of the world in which we live, where we must know who is in our state and nation, whether or not they mean us harm," Gov. Perry said.

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