That makes two such suits over the new DPS policy of verifying residency status in order to get a drivers license.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit in state district court in Austin. It’s on behalf of three men with permission to work in the country and a Lewisville landscaping business that employs seasonal foreign workers through a federal program.
The men are landscaping workers in North Texas who need to drive as part of their job but could not obtain a Texas driver’s license under the new DPS policies because their visas are valid for only 10 months.
DPS rules exclude people from receiving driver’s licenses if they have a visa for less than one year or have less than six months remaining on it, MALDEF said.
Officials also changed the appearance of driver’s licenses for persons with legal permission to be in the U.S. so that they differ from licenses given to citizens and green card holders.
MALDEF contends the Public Safety Commission, which oversees DPS, exceeded its authority and did not have Legislative approval to adopt the rules.
Another suit had been filed two weeks ago by the Texas Civil Rights Project on the grounds that the new rules were discriminatory. At the very least, we know they’re causing all kinds of grief for plenty of folks whose paperwork is all in order. I’d bet someone will win an injunction, at least for the time being, to suspend these new procedures.
Thank you!!! My son (19) and I had a horrible experience trying to get his driver’s license. It took us 3 days and a pound of documents to prove that we lived in Kleberg County. First I took our utility bills (beside the usual birth certificate, social security card etc) , they told me they had PO Box numbers..I told them there was a location box indicating the location of our home. No, it was not accepted and along with that I was given an affidavit to be signed by my husband to prove that I lived with him(of 22 years). This was because my husband’s name on the utilities not mine. I went back another day and showed them my voter’s registration card, driver’s license and my check book. No, I needed the bank not my checks and my Texas driver’s license was not allowed as proof of residency, because according to the office manager “The Texas Driver’s license only for driving not for identification purposes .” The third time we went I took my son’s first summer job’s pay check and a tax record where it indicates he owns land in that county. No ,that was not accepted because his birth certificate, social security card, tax record, had his first, middle and last name, but his pay check only had his first and last name, even though, the social security number on the check was the same as his social security card and they proceeded to ask “why was my son’s name was on a tax record.” At his point, I became infuriated and demanded to speak to someone higher and at the same time I told them I was going to copy and mail every piece of document I had shone them and send it to my congressman. They quickly scrambled called someone on the phone and my son was given an appointment for the driving test. He got his license But in retrospect, They are doing a lot of nit picking and many people just walk away..I am wondering if it is not a ploy . Something has to be done. Thanks for doing it.