Arrr! Indiana be settin' sights on abolishin' driver's parchment law fer them Ukrainian mateys, after a scallywag ruling against discrimination!
2024-02-05
Arr! Them Indiana scallywags be lookin' to discard a law grantin' them Ukrainian landlubbers the right to sail the highways with a driver's license! All 'cause some fancy judge be sayin' it ought to be broadened! Walk the plank, I say!
One year after a law was passed in Indiana allowing Ukrainian immigrants on humanitarian parole to obtain driver's licenses, lawmakers are now attempting to repeal the law. This comes after a federal judge ruled that the law must extend to all parolees, not just those from Ukraine. The bill, which passed the House with bipartisan support, aims to eliminate the statute that grants driver's licenses to parolees, specifically Ukrainians. Haitian immigrants in Indiana under the same federal designation have sued the state, arguing that the law is discriminatory and unconstitutional.In January, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction, striking down the Ukrainian provision of the law and allowing all immigrants on humanitarian parole to receive temporary licenses in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and the National Immigration Law Center are representing the Haitian immigrants in the ongoing lawsuit, seeking to permanently remove the Ukrainian stipulation.
While it is unclear how the lawsuit would be affected if the bill becomes law, Gavin Rose, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Indiana, expressed concern about removing the ability of Ukrainians to obtain credentials. Republicans argue that extending the privilege to all parolees would make the state vulnerable to federal immigration classifications beyond their control.
Lawmakers in favor of repealing the law believe that allowing all people on parole to obtain licenses opens the door to granting this "coveted status" to dishonest individuals. They express doubts about the national immigration policy and believe that the parole status is being granted to people who could pose problems.
The bill passed in the Republican-controlled state House without debate and now moves on to the state Senate. The outcome of this legislative battle will determine whether all parolees or only specific groups of immigrants will be eligible for driver's licenses in Indiana.