First dreamers to get Arizona licenses overjoyed
PHOENIX — Maria Sanchez was first in line at 4 a.m., carrying a copy of Arizona's driving manual.
She was among dozens of young immigrants brought to this country illegally by their parents — Arizona's dreamers — who arrived at Motor Vehicle Division offices early to apply for driver's licenses Monday. They didn't mind a few extra hours of waiting.
After all, they had been waiting for more than two years since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed an executive order preventing them from driving legally.
"The day I heard on the news we could get our licenses, I was jumping around and was so excited," said Sanchez, 28, who was the first person in line at a Motor Vehicle Division office in south Phoenix. "I'm still nervous. I hope I pass."
She has been driving about 10 years to make sure her four children get to school.
The dreamers in Phoenix are among the first to apply for licenses after a federal judge last week ordered Arizona to stop enforcing Brewer's nearly 2 ½-year-old driver's license ban against young immigrants granted federal work permits through President Obama's 2012 deferred-action program.
As a result of the court order, more than 22,000 immigrants who have received work permits through the program are now eligible to apply for driver's licenses in Arizona.
Monday was the first day the dreamers could apply for licenses and ID cards under the order issued by U.S. Federal Judge David Campbell.
Nineteen-year-old Ramon Maldonado was the first to get his driver's license at Maryvale Motor Vehicle Division office in Phoenix.
There were some scary moments for him. He forgot his Social Security card but they let him use his bank card.
He was taking his written test and when he saw that it went white in the end, he thought he failed but realized he didn't.
Then came the road test.
"It was all a rush," he said. "But I passed! It feels good to have a license and not worry about how to get around."
Sergio Olvera, 32, said he has been driving for 15 years, since his dad taught him at the end of high school. Routine traffic stops have led to six tickets for driving without a license, he said. His car has been impounded three times.
He needs to drive for his landscaping job.
He was confident from his years of experience and passed the written and road tests easily. By 10:30 a.m. he was driving off to have lunch with his family.
"I just wanted to have a driver's license and be able to drive legally," he said. "I can drive anywhere now without getting a ticket."
Not everyone passed on the first try. Many dreamers were seen leaving with driving manuals, not their licenses, in hand. Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Tait said that generally 50% of applicants fail the written test.
Jesica Ruiz, 23, of Phoenix, applied for an Arizona ID but didn't feel prepared to take the driver's test.
"I don't like failing. I want to take the test and pass the test the first time."
She plans to study the rules handbook and return later, she said.
The surge of dreamers caused some slowing, but non-dreamers said they weren't too inconvenienced, that the lines at the Motor Vehicle Division offices are always slow.
"It's busier than normal," Tait said, "but we are working the queue as effectively as we can. No added staff were brought in."
Arizona was one of only two states with policies that denied driver's licenses to dreamers who received work permits through Obama's program. Nebraska is the other.
The legal battle in Arizona isn't over.
Brewer has vowed to ask the Supreme Court to hear an appeal after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that her driver's license ban was likely unconstitutional and instructed Campbell to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the ban from continuing.
Campbell has scheduled a hearing for Jan. 7 to hear oral arguments to decide whether to throw out the case and make the injunction permanent.
Brewer has until Feb. 22 to file a motion asking the Supreme Court to hear an appeal.
On Monday, there were mostly smiles among the dreamers and their supporters.
Dan Pachoda, senior counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, stood outside the Maryvale office all morning to support the dreamers.
"Today is a victory. I am thrilled," he said. "This was spiteful from the beginning. This should have been allowed two years ago. ... There is systemic profiling in our state.
"Not having a license here is a great hardship. We are not set up with a public transportation system that is easy. With everything spaced out, it can take an individual a long time to get to a location. It's hard when it's groceries ... what if they have to go to a hospital?
"Today we are overjoyed."
And not even failure could dampen the mood.
Sanchez, who had arrived at 4 a.m., didn't pass the written test. But she promised to try again.
"Yes I can!" she said in a text.