VIDEO: Immigrant Moms from LD36 Call on Senator Sarlo to Support Drivers Licenses

Families Deliver Dozens of Christmas Cards Urging Senator Sarlo to Vote Yes on S3229/A4743

(December 4, 2019 – Wood-Ridge, NJ): Immigrant mothers and their kids visited Senator Paul Sarlo’s Wood-Ridge, NJ district office today to urge his support of expanding access to drivers licenses. The 36th Legislative District is home to a large immigrant population, including Mexican, Polish and Middle Eastern immigrants. The District is 35.5% Hispanic or Latino. Despite widespread support, including bill co-sponsors Assemblyman Gary Schaer and Clinton Calabrese, Senator Sarlo has yet to make a public commitment to supporting S3229/A4743, legislation that will expand access to drivers licenses.

See video and photos of the action today.

“As a mother, it is so hard not to be able to drive your kids to school, to the hospital if they get sick at night or to go grocery shopping. This past weekend, I missed my son’s soccer tournament because I couldn’t drive the hour to get there. Our families are risking deportation every day without access to a drivers license. I urge Senator Sarlo, who is also a parent, to support this legislation now,” said Margarita Rodriguez of Passaic, a member of Make the Road New Jersey.

Otherwise qualified drivers face barriers to obtaining a license in New Jersey: vulnerable populations like undocumented immigrants, survivors of violence, transgender individuals and veterans are impacted in particular. Fourteen states and Washington, D.C. have expanded access to drivers licenses, regardless of immigration status. In New Jersey, approximately 719,000 potential drivers could benefit, bringing in $90 million in economic gain to the state. Legislation to expand access to drivers licenses is currently pending in the state Senate and Assembly. Committee votes are scheduled for December 9th in the Assembly and December 12th in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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