License law concerns clerk

Bradford Kendall wrote to the federal government questioning a state law giving undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses

Dutchess County Clerk Bradford Kendall has let his anxiety about issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants be known to the federal government.

Kendall, a Republican, has sent a letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan expressing his concerns.

Kendall’s letter comes on the heels of one sent by Saratoga County Clerk Craig Hayner to President Donald J. Trump, hoping that he stops the implementation of a new state law giving undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses.

More than 30 other clerks had given their verbal support to the letter, according to Saratoga County Clerk’s Office spokesman Ridge Harris.

When asked if he had pledged support to the Trump letter, Kendall’s office responded by saying, “He shares the concerns of the Saratoga County Clerk.”

Ulster County Clerk

Nina Postupack, a Republican, said Friday she did not sign on to the Trump letter.

Clerks who run county Departments of Motor Vehicles in Greene and Columbia counties did not respond to inquiries about the Saratoga County Clerk’s letter.

But Kendall’s office supplied a copy of a letter he

wrote to the federal government.

In an earlier statement, Kendall said he opposed the law, but did not go so far as to say he would not issue the licenses, as other clerks have pledged.

“I am aware that other states offer driver’s licenses in a similar fashion; however, it is my understanding that those states issue licenses that are materially different from the licenses issued to those who can prove citizenship and to those who can prove they are in the U.S. lawfully,” Kendall wrote. “This (New York) law requires the non-compliant licenses to be “visually identical” to federally compliant licenses and simply stamped “not for federal purposes.”

Kendal raises only questions in his letter.

“Given that beginning December 16, 2019, New York state will begin to issue functionally identical standard not for federal purpose licenses to applicants regardless of lawful presence, will the October 1, 2020 REAL ID compliance requirement

be advanced to December 16, 2019?” Kendall asked. “Will our residents who currently believe they have 15 months to upgrade their standard NYS license now have only 6 months?”

The law, Kendall said, also restricts the Department of Motor Vehicles from “disclosing information to federal law enforcement agencies.”