Florida state legislators are advancing a bill that would allow for a visible marking on the driver's licenses of non-U.S. citizens, an initiative that is already raising concerns among migrant communities and legal experts due to its potential discriminatory impact.
The proposal, recently presented in Tallahassee, seeks for licenses to include an explicit marker —such as the initials "NS" or "N-C"— to identify non-citizen drivers, reported Telemundo 51.
Its proponents claim that the measure would streamline administrative processes and help prevent electoral fraud, although they acknowledge that the project is just beginning its legislative journey and faces resistance.
If the law is approved, the brand would even affect immigrants with legal status, including permanent residents, people with temporary visas, and asylum or refugee applicants who already possess valid licenses.
Immigration lawyers warn that the proposal does not distinguish between immigration status and citizenship, which could lead to different treatment in everyday life.
A marked license could serve as a red flag during a traffic stop or a routine interaction with the police, leading to unnecessary questioning, even if the person is complying with the law.
At the federal level, an appeals court in Washington D.C. stalled in November a rule promoted by the Donald Trump administration that sought to severely restrict immigrants' access to commercial driver's licenses. The court concluded that the government did not follow the proper procedure and failed to demonstrate how the measure would improve road safety.
The ruling was decisive in dismantling one of the main arguments behind the tightening of immigration policies. Official data revealed that immigrants represent a minuscule fraction of commercial license holders and are involved in an extremely low percentage of fatal accidents, contradicting the risk narrative used to justify the restrictions.
Florida was one of the states that pushed the hardest to tighten federal regulations following a fatal accident involving an immigrant truck driver, a case that was used as a political symbol despite not representing a general trend. However, the courts made it clear that broad immigration policies cannot be imposed based on isolated cases or without solid technical backing.
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