‘Necessity’: Those in US illegally push for license to drive

ALBION, N.Y. (AP) — A renewed push across the United States to issue driver’s licenses to immigrants in the country illegally resonates with rural workers who say driving is an absolute necessity.

Immigrants feel frustrated because supermarkets and job sites are too far away to walk, but they risk alerting authorities if they get behind the wheel.

Thirty-four-year-old dairy farm worker Luis Jiménez in upstate New York gambles daily by driving to work and for family errands. He says driving is a necessity in farm country.

Twelve states including California and Illinois already allow residents here illegally to get licenses, accepting such documents as tax returns for identification.

New York is among a half-dozen states where immigrants and their advocates believe a friendlier political map gives such a measure a fighting chance.