Iowa DOT Will Issue Driver’s Licenses or Nonoperator IDs to Persons Granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Status
AMES, Iowa – Jan. 23, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation has determined it can now issue driver's licenses or nonoperator identification (ID) cards to persons granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status based on changed guidance issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 18, 2013.
The new information announced late last Friday from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services changes the definition of persons granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ changed guidance states persons granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status are “authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to be present in the United States and considered to be lawfully present during their deferred action” period.
Under Iowa Code §§ 321.182, 321.190 and 321.196, a driver’s license or nonoperator ID card shall only be issued to a foreign national authorized to be present in the United Status. Therefore, based on this changed guidance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Iowa DOT does now have the legal authority under current Iowa law to issue a driver’s license or nonoperator ID card to a person granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status (indicated on Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document, category C33).
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Media contact: Paul Trombino, 515-239-1111