Press Democrat — High-ranking officials from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles came to Sonoma County on Tuesday with a singular message for local undocumented immigrants: Start studying for your driver’s license test. After Jan. 1, undocumented immigrants will be allowed to obtain driver’s licenses under AB 60, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in October. Between 1.4 million and 2 million undocumented immigrants living in California are expected to apply.
On Tuesday evening, Mike McGowan and Lizette Mata, both DMV deputy directors appointed by Brown, attended a community forum in Santa Rosa aimed at educating the local immigrant community about the new law. About 70 people, most of them immigrants, attended the forum, which was held at the Lawrence Cook Middle School multipurpose room. “The way you always tell your kids you have to study and try hard in school — that’s what you have to do now,” Mata told the crowd, invoking their laughter. [Read More]