February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“This is going to impact on a number of Irish immigrants,” said Siobhan Dennehy of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center. “We’ve gotten a significant number of calls from people at both our centers — in Woodside and in Woodlawn.”
The DMV letter has given recipients 15 days to respond.
“We’re not sure what the next step is going to be,” Dennehy said. “We’re telling people to wait for further developments.”
The EIIC is adding its name to a letter that the New York Immigration Coalition is sending to Gov. George Pataki this week.
“This could be devastating for many people. It will affect their basic livelihood,” she added. “You’re talking about people who’ve been under the radar screen for years, who gave a number, a telephone number sometimes, to get into the system.”
The DMV has required that driver’s license applicants provide a social security number since 1995.
The recent DMV letter states: “Please be advised that if you do not contact us within 15 days for the date of this letter, we will have to take additional action, including the possible suspension of your learner permit, driver license or identification document.”
“This is a new twist in enforcement,” Dennehy said.
Anti-immigration advocates have been pushing for such a move against undocumented immigrants, but the Social Security Administration’s sharing of its information with the DMV is generally seen as part of the tightening of security in the post-Sept. 11 situation. “This is very worrying because it’s a federal organization,” Dennehy said. “What’s next?”