On Monday, October 29, Executive Director Rob Gregson, along with fellow Immigration Task Force Chair, Ted Fetter, and Eileen Bird (Princeton), Clara Haignere (Princeton), Jasmine Ueng-McHale (Washington Crossing), Hannah Gallo, and Barbara Jensen attended a rally at the New Jersey State Assembly to show Unitarian Universalist support of issuing undocumented immigrants a New Jersey driver’s license.
There is a strong state-wide effort to move this issue the back-burner to the forefront of lawmakers’ minds.
Gov. Phil Murphy has said he supports the idea. However, Legislation has been introduced but has yet to receive a hearing. Governor Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, have publicly stated that the top issues on their fall agenda are a $15 minimum wage and marijuana legalization.
Jasmine Eung-McHale, of the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing, said most tasks of basic living in New Jersey require a car. “And I think that it’s important that we allow undocumented residents, our neighbors here, to be able to have that freedom,” Eung-McHale said. “It’s often one way they get flagged by law enforcement when in fact they’re just trying to live their lives.” (exerted from NJ 105.5 )
Twelve states currently permit undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.