By Randy Ludlow
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Ohio officials have backed off a criticized move to revoke the commercial drivers' licenses of 562 immigrants unless they could prove legal residency in the United States.
Before reversing course on Thursday, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles officials said they would yank the licenses of immigrant truck, taxi and other drivers within 30 days if they could not provide a "green card" or proof of U.S. citizenship and a valid Social Security number.
BMV spokesman Lindsey Bohrer said today that state officials relied on federal guidance in moving to lift the licenses of some immigrants before federal officials clarified regulations this week, prompting BMV to abandon the move.
The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the American Immigration Lawyers Association had filed more than 40 appeals on behalf of immigrant drivers while asking BMV to reconsider its position.
BMV sent letters on Dec. 14 to 562 immigrants across Ohio saying the agency was proposing to cancel their commercial drivers' licenses because they were "erroneously or fraudulently issued."
"Ohio law previously only required proof of 'legal presence,' which would include proof of work authorization or proof of filing of various types of immigration applications," CAIR said in a statement today. "Our clients complied with all relevant laws when they applied for their (licenses)."
Muslim immigrants who drive for a living were alarmed they might their lose their livelihoods while still waiting to receive "unreasonably delayed" green cards more than 18 months after they applied for legal residency, said Jennifer Nimer, director of Columbus-CAIR.
"We're happy it has come to a reasonable conclusion," said Nimer. She noted that the threat potentially endangered the jobs of several Columbus-area Somali residents, as well as many Hispanics statewide.
Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Kristen Castle said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration changed its position on the immigrants' status and "acknowledged that these (commercial drivers' licenses) were issued by Ohio in accordance with an allowable exception contained in the federal requirements."
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