Ohio Governor Signs New Law That Will Make Life Harder for Immigrants

Ohio Gov. Mike Devine signed a controversial bill that would require state-issued ID cards and driver's licenses to show that the holder is not a U.S. citizen. Yahoo News.

Photo: IStock

Advocacy groups condemned the move, arguing that the specific provision of House Bill 458 would make it difficult for immigrants to obtain the credentials they need.

According to immigrant advocates, the inclusion of such information on identity cards could lead to discrimination and harassment of immigrant communities.

On the subject: USCIS Extends Conditional Green Cards

“Our biggest concerns about designating non-citizens is that it would deprive non-citizens of incentives to get a government ID and could make the process even more difficult for non-citizens at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles,” said Corrile Drozda, who works with immigrants at the Legal Aid Society. Cleveland. “Our clients often tell us that BMV erroneously denied them because BMV was not familiar with the type of document proving their respective immigration status.”

Drozda also argued that it was "unnecessary and harmful" to refer to people as non-citizens on their identity cards.

“Our non-citizen clients already have to overcome many barriers to get a driver's license or government ID,” she says.

“Due to linguistic, cultural differences, ignorance of the US legal system, and fear of immigration control, many Ohio non-citizens are hesitant to share their information with government agencies and report criminal activity in their communities,” she continued.

Like the article? Support ForumDaily!(I.e.

The provision has also been heavily criticized for reportedly making it harder for many communities to vote.

Among the requirements of the law is the limitation of districts to only one ballot box, regardless of the population of the district. The law also eliminates the day of in-person early voting, which voting rights advocates fear will effectively disenfranchise many poor voters of color, especially a significant number of residents whose driver's licenses are suspended due to debt.

Organizations in Ohio, including the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Union Veterans Council, have filed a lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and 88 state election commissions to strike down such provisions in the law .

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New Y.

Meanwhile, DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney defended the measure, saying it could protect immigrants from unintentionally voting illegal ballots. He noted that "while cases of electoral fraud are indeed rare, the vast majority of such cases involve non-citizen voting."

Read also on ForumDaily:

Ukrainians were not allowed on a Royal Caribbean cruise, citing 'sanctions' against their homeland

Seven things that amaze me about Americans

They annoy you, but they could bring money: how to make money on spam calls

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? - support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Choose the "Display Priority" option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram - there are many interesting things. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily Woman и ForumDaily New York - there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information.