For many years now it has become routine to register to vote while applying for a driver’s license. However, to a non-U.S. citizen, this routine act can derail any future immigration benefits. Simply registering to vote can be considered a claim of U.S. citizenship. Current immigration law severely penalizes anyone who claims to be a U.S. citizen by making them permanently inadmissible without possibility of a waiver, meaning there is no way to have that claim forgiven. Because voting participation continues to drop in some parts of the country, states are getting creative in encouraging its residents to vote. As a result, in the last few days, California passed a law that seeks to encourage more participation in elections by automatically registering everyone who obtains or renews a driver’s license. At this point we do not fully understand what the California law will mean for non-U.S. citizens who apply for a California driver license. Supposedly there will be protectio...
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