Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) has introduced the Red Light Act, legislation aimed at withholding federal transportation funding from states that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses or identification cards.
Under the proposed bill, the Department of Transportation would be directed to withhold federal funds allocated for programs such as the National Highway Performance Program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program from non-compliant states.
The bill targets laws like New York’s Green Light Law, which took effect in 2019 and permits individuals over the age of 16, including undocumented immigrants, to apply for a state driver’s license. The licenses also serve as valid photo identification. According to Tenney, more than 50,000 undocumented immigrants received licenses in the first month of the law’s implementation.
“Our nation is grappling with an unprecedented migrant crisis, yet some states, like New York, are incentivizing and rewarding criminals with driver’s licenses and identification cards,” Tenney said in a statement. “This legislation ensures states that refuse to comply with our nation’s immigration policies are not rewarded with federal funding.”
Tenney also criticized the Green Light Law for restricting law enforcement’s access to DMV records, which she argued hampers immigration enforcement efforts.
The Red Light Act now awaits committee review in the House of Representatives.
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