By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
After fighting the issue in court for years, Gov. Doug Ducey has finally agreed to issue driver’s licenses to all deferred action recipients.
In an announcement Wednesday, the state Department of Transportation said anyone who has an Employment Authorization Card issued by the Department of Homeland Security is entitled to a state license to operate a motor vehicle. The change is immediate.
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The action comes as Ducey gave up trying to appeal a 2018 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell that the state was required to issue licenses to everyone the federal government has allowed to remain this country.
It also comes years after the U.S. Supreme Court slapped down the state’s ill-fated bid to keep “dreamers” from being licensed. But Ducey insisted that the state was not obligated to issue licenses to other deferred-action recipients, like victims of domestic violence.
Gubernatorial press aide Patrick Ptak declined to comment, saying decisions on the lawsuit were being made by the state Department of Transportation. But Ducey had previously told Capitol Media Services that he wanted to pursue the litigation, even after a federal judge ruled against him.
