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Blue states rallied for illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses ahead of Trump’s REAL ID crackdown
Americans are scrambling to obtain a state-issued REAL ID in order to travel by plane ahead of a federal deadline next month, which comes after states from coast to coast changed their laws surrounding driver’s licenses to permit illegal immigrants to drive.
Americans will need to obtain a REAL ID, which is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued licenses, in order to easily travel by air, the Department of Homeland Security explains on its website. Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain the identification card, while valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel.
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver’s licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement for all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply.
The move to officially enforce REAL IDs at the national level for domestic air travel comes after 19 states and Washington, D.C., put laws on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN’S BILL WOULD RIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM STATES THAT GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER’S LICENSES
REAL ID and TSA lines (Reuters/DC DMV)
The states, which stretch from New York and New Jersey to California and Washington state, changed their laws in order to allow illegal immigrants to drive freely to work, while also ensuring they meet driving skill requirements and could obtain car insurance to bolster road safety, various liberal lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups said as they rallied support for the law changes.
«Expanding access to driver’s licenses is critical for the safety of New Jerseyans and a step toward building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all,» New Jersey Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, for example, said in 2019 after signing the Garden State’s legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
LEGAL IMMIGRANT OUTRAGED OVER MINNESOTA OFFERING DRIVER’S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
«Allowing residents the opportunity to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status will decrease the number of uninsured drivers and increase safety on our roads. I thank my partners in the Legislature for sending this important bill to my desk,» he added.
A group of migrants rushes the border wall March 21, 2024, knocking down Texas National Guardsmen in the process. (James Breeden for New York Post/Mega)
Just a few months after New Jersey’s 2021 law change, the state issued 100,000 new permits, a 65% jump compared to the same three-month period in years prior, NJ Spotlight News reported at the time.
BONDI ANNOUNCES NEW LAWSUITS AGAINST STATES ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH IMMIGRATION ACTIONS
New Jersey is among the states that have reported long wait times at DMVs as residents scramble to obtain a REAL ID to fly ahead of the May 7 deadline.
The states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Washington state had a law on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses since 1993, National Conference of State Legislatures data show, while most states, such as Illinois and California, began changing their laws starting in 2012.
In Massachusetts in 2022, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, citing that local DMVs did not have the ability to verify the validity of foreign documents and that it would overall weaken the validity of state driver’s licenses.
Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande are lined up for processing by Customs and Border Protection, Sept. 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
«I cannot sign this legislation because it requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue state credentials to people without the ability to verify their identity. The Registry does not have the expertise or ability to verify the validity of many types of documents from other countries,» Baker said at the time. «Consequently, a standard Massachusetts driver’s license will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.»
Massachusetts ultimately allowed illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses through a ballot initiative.
Domestic air travelers who are in the nation illegally are required to present a valid and up-to-date photo ID to board a flight, and can show documents such as a driver’s license, a current foreign passport, a military ID or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Employment Authorization Card, and other forms of photo IDs, according to various immigrant advocacy groups.
SANCTUARY STATE’S ‘GREEN LIGHT’ LAW IS RED FLAG FOR AMERICANS’ SAFETY, NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERTS
The Trump administration, which has been on an illegal immigration deportation blitz, revealed in a memo last week that the REAL ID requirement will further crack down on illegal aliens moving freely around the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House on April 2. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
A Department of Homeland Security memo exclusively obtained by Fox Digital last week outlined that part of the motivation for the Trump administration to enforce the REAL ID law is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying – unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight.
«Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,» the memo states.
«This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks,» the memo continues.
NEW JERSEY BILL TO LET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GET DRIVERS’ LICENSES ADVANCES TO GOVERNOR’S DESK
The agency emphasized that the measure prevents people in the country illegally from traveling within the U.S.
«DHS and TSA are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.,» it states.
While many conservatives backed the REAL ID Act, both in 2005 and now, some have said it bolsters the oversight «Big Brother» holds over the country.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLOOD DMVS IN NY AFTER NEW DRIVERS LICENSE LAW TAKES EFFECT
«Evidently, existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now, so Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country,» former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin posted to X.
«If you think REAL ID is about election integrity, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Someone has lied to you, or you’re engaged in wishful thinking. Please don’t shoot the messenger,» Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X last week.
«REAL ID is a 2005 George Bush-era Patriot Act overreach that went completely unenforced until Trump got into office. Let me guess: he’s playing 4D chess and I should just go along with it?» Massie wrote in another post.
TOP TRUMP AGENCY HYPES IMPORTANCE OF REAL ID ENFORCEMENT, CITING ONE KEY REASON
Energy Secretary Chris Wright, President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (Reuters)
President Donald Trump, under his first administration, pushed back the REAL ID October 2020 deadline as the pandemic raged. The Biden administration’s DHS established the May 7, 2025, deadline in 2022.
Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, told Fox News Digital in a statement last week: «REAL IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. 81% of air travelers hold REAL ID-compliant or acceptable IDs. DHS will continue to collaborate with state, local, and airport authorities to inform the public, facilitate compliance, curb wait times and prevent fraud.»
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«DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels,» McLaughlin added.
Immigration,Illegal Immigrants,Donald Trump,Politics,New Jersey,New York
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Front-runners for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, wasted little time attacking each other on alleged personal scandals they have been involved in during a Wednesday night debate between the pair and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani and Sliwa took the opportunity during Wednesday’s debate to drill down on past sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo, the former governor of New York, ahead of an impeachment inquiry that preceded Cuomo’s 2021 resignation. Cuomo was also hit by Mamdani over accusations he has – while in public office – failed to meet with Muslim constituents and only began doing so amid pressure from his mayoral campaign, and over his alleged poor handling of the COVID-19 virus in New York after Cuomo was party to issuing guidance forcing nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit COVID-19 positive patients.
Meanwhile, Cuomo did not hold back on targeting Mamdani over alleged controversies that have embattled his campaign. Cuomo blasted the self-proclaimed socialist over his lack of experience, ties to radical politics, and past radical comments about law enforcement, Israel and the situation in Gaza.
FBI AGENTS FROM ’93 WTC ATTACK BLAST MAMDANI FOR EMBRACING RADICAL IMAM
All three candidates for NEw York City governor debated Wednesday night. From left to right: Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis-Pool/Getty Images)
«My main opponent has no new ideas. He has no new plan. … He’s never run anything, managed anything. He’s never had a real job,» Cuomo said of Mamdani during the debate. Cuomo also branded Mamdani as someone who has proven to be «a divisive force in New York,» pointing to past incidents that have garnered Mamdani heat from critics.
One of those incidents included a picture he took with a hard-lined Ugandan lawmaker who has pushed policies of imprisoning people for being gay, which Mamdani took while taking a break from the campaign trail to visit his home country of Uganda for a wedding. Cuomo also hit the controversy over whether Mamdani supports Jewish New Yorkers, as his critics have claimed he is anti-Israel pointing to statements he has made, like «globalize the intifada.»
Cuomo also accused Mamdani of disrespecting Italian-Americans after a video of him surfaced giving the middle finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus, while also pointing to criticism the self-proclaimed socialist candidate has garnered from 9/11 first-responders after posting a photo with a Muslim cleric who served as a character witness for the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks.
TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) shakes hands on the debate stage with Democratic Party candidate for New York City mayor (right) Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo is running as an Independent after lsoing to Mamdani in the primary election. (Photographer: Angelina Katsanis/AP)
«You have been a divisive force in New York, and I believe that’s toxic energy for New York. It’s with the Jewish community. It’s with the Italian-American community – when you give the Columbus statue the finger. It’s with the Sunni Muslims when you say decriminalize prostitution, which is Haram. It’s the Hindus,» Cuomo continued. «Then, you take a picture with Rebecca Kadaga, deputy Prime Minister of Uganda. … She’s known as Rebecca ‘Gay Killer.’ … You’re a citizen of Uganda. You took the picture. You said you didn’t know who she was. It turns out you did. How do you not renounce your citizenship or demand BDS against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay just by their sexual orientation? Isn’t that a basic violation of human rights?»
Mamdani shot back that his politics have remained «consistent» and that they are built on a belief in human rights for all people, including LGBTQ+ folks. Had he known Kadga’s role in drafting legislation to imprison gay folks, Mamdani said, he never would have taken the picture.
«This constant attempt to smear and slander me is an attempt to also distract from the fact that, unlike myself, you do not actually have a platform or a set of policies,» Mamdani shot back at Cuomo before introducing his own claims about the former governor regarding past accusations of sexual harassment.
MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’
New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo slammed his democratic socialist opponent Zohran Mamdani during Wednesday’s debate for a variety of alleged scandals he has been involved in. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty; Angelina Katsanis/Getty)
«Mr. Cuomo. In 2021, 13 different women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment. Since then, you have spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as entirely political,» Mamdani said while attacking Cuomo Wednesday night.
«You have even gone so far as to legally go after these women. One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening. You sought to access her private gynecological records. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?»
Cuomo, in 2021, was accused of multiple incidents of sexual harassment that preceded his resignation as governor that year. A subsequent report from New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed Cuomo «sexually harassed multiple women from 2013 through 2020,» while in January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had reached a nearly $500,000 settlement with Cuomo’s executive office over one of the claims. However, no criminal charges were ever filed against Cuomo, with some district attorneys citing insufficient evidence.
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Cuomo defended himself against Mamdani’s accusations, noting the cases were eventually dropped, before returning to questions about Mamdani’s alleged past.
Meanwhile, Sliwa didn’t skip an opportunity to slam Cuomo over the sexual assault allegations either, saying early in the debate during a discussion about homelessness that Cuomo «fled» the governor’s office amid an impeachment inquiry that was investigating him.
«Andrew, you didn’t ‘leave.’ You fled from being impeached by the Democrats in the state legislature,» Sliwa began before getting into the homelessness issue, earning him a round-of-applause from the audience.
«‘Leave?’ You fled!» Sliwa continued to applause. «But let’s get back on topic.»
elections state and local,2025 2026 elections coverage,andrew cuomo,zohran mamdani,nyc mayoral elections coverage
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Ahora la Justicia de Chile investigará el caso de Bernarda Vera, la desaparecida que encontraron viviendo en Argentina
Tres semanas después del revuelo político generado en Chile por el presunto hallazgo en Argentina de Bernarda Vera, una mujer que integraba el listado oficial de víctimas de la dictadura militar de Augusto Pinochet, la Justicia chilena abrió una investigación para dar con su paradero.
La causa fue radicada el Primer Juzgado del Crimen de Temuco, en la región de La Araucanía, y quedó bajo secreto de sumario. El caso lo lleva adelante el ministro de la Corte Álvaro Mesa, especialista en causas de violaciones de los derechos humanos.
Video
Así fue el encuentro entre las cámaras de TV y la mujer que podría ser Bernarda Vera
A través de un escrito, el funcionario afirmó que «hasta hace pocos meses no existían causas vigentes respecto a los delitos de desaparición forzada, secuestro o detención ilegal de Bernarda Vera Contardo«, nombre que figura entre las 1.162 personas incluidas en el Informe de la Comisión Verdad y Reconciliación (Rettig).
El panorama cambió, según el portal Bio Bio Chile, ante el surgimiento de algunas «incongruencias en los relato» que fueron reportadas por el Plan Nacional de Búsqueda (PNB) del Programa de Derechos Humanos» y derivaron en la apertura de «un cuaderno de búsqueda».
La protagonista de la historia es Bernarda Vera, una profesora que, con 27 años y una hija de 5, fue detenida por militares el 10 de octubre de 1973 y que, aparentemente, había sido ejecutada en el puente de Villarrica, también en la región de La Araucania. Sin embargo, el caso dio un giro a fines de septiembre cuando salió a la luz una investigación periodística que habría ubicado a quien fuera militante del Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR) en la localidad bonaerense de Miramar.
Desde el gobierno de Gabriel Boric fue el ministro de Seguridad, Luis Cordero, quien señaló que la tarea de «corroborar científicamente la identidad de la mujer que vive en Argentina y que sería Bernarda Vera» le corresponde efectivamente al juez que tramita la causa.
La consulta al funcionario se debe a que fue quien estaba al frente del Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos cuando se puso en marcha el Plan Nacional de Búsqueda, Verdad y Justicia y es el señalado por la oposición como el responsable de la eventual «inexactitud respecto al caso».
Conocida como «Anita» en sus tiempos de militancia en el MIR, Bernarda Vera figura en el Informe Rettig, el registro de las víctimas de violaciones a los derechos humanos durante la dictadura pinochetista. Testimonios que quedaron fuera de la causa y algunos detalles del boletín que cada mes publica el PNB dieron indicios de que la mujer podría haber escapado de ese destino.
El reporte que se difundió en septiembre mencionó que «en algunos casos, muy excepcionales, este proceso ha revelado incongruencias con las conclusiones de las Comisiones de Verdad. Un primer caso refiere a una persona, condenada a muerte por un Consejo de Guerra en 1973, que fue calificada por la CNVR (Comisión Rettig), con los antecedentes disponibles en la época como víctima de desaparición forzada”.
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El momento en el que un informe de TV encontró a Bernarda Vera, la supuesta desaparecida chilena que vive en Argentina
“Posteriormente, el PNB recogió testimonios de personas que dijeron haberla visto fuera de Chile después de la fecha en la que la CNVR estableció su desaparición. A raíz de ello, se abrió una investigación administrativa respecto de su trayectoria. Estos antecedentes fueron puestos en conocimiento del Comité de Seguimiento y Participación del Plan Nacional de Búsqueda; de la familia de manera reservada para proteger su privacidad; y al mismo tiempo, se ofició oportunamente al Ministro en Visita Extraordinaria con competencia en la causa”, detalla el documento.
Esos datos fueron parte de la investigación periodística de Chilevisión, que condujo a una de sus cronistas a la ciudad de la costa bonaerense y donde habría dado con el paradero de Bernarda Vera Contardo, quien detrás de la puerta de su casa se negó a hablar con la periodista. El tema generó un fuerte debate en el país y desató fuertes críticas a la administración del Frente Amplio.
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Dublin protesters clash with police, burn vehicle after migrant accused of sexually assaulting Irish girl
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Protesters set a police car on fire and hurled glass bottles at officers in Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday night after an illegal migrant was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Irish girl who was in state care.
The violence erupted outside the City West Hotel, a sprawling former hotel-turned migrant center where an illegal migrant — who had deportation orders standing against him — is accused of attacking the girl late Sunday night.
Irish police, An Garda Síochána, said that six people were arrested during the clashes and one female police officer suffered a foot injury.
HERE’S WHY IRELAND IS AT BOILING POINT OVER MASS IMMIGRATION
Onlookers film a Garda vehicle burning as a demonstration outside a hotel housing asylum seekers turned violent in Saggart, southwest Dublin, on Oct. 21, 2025. Police in riot gear clashed with hundreds of protesters after allegations that a 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted. (Peter Murphy / AFP via Getty Images)
Police said their officers were subject to «sustained attacks» as they tried to cordon off the building. Nearly 300 police were dispatched to the area in Saggart.
Some protesters were seen waving Irish flags while others could be heard chanting, «Get them out, get them out,» in reference to the 2,000 migrants living at the shelter.
Police said protesters hurled hundreds of empty glass bottles from nearby garbage containers and bricks at officers, while fireworks were also discharged. A police helicopter was targeted with lasers, a spokesperson said.
Men on horseback attempted to breach police lines by charging at law enforcement, police said. Police used pepper spray as they tried to disperse the crowd.
«An Garda Síochána facilitates peaceful protests on a daily basis. This was obviously not a peaceful protest,» Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said in a statement. «The actions this evening can only be described as thuggery. This was a mob intent on violence against Gardaí.»
A protester films as a Garda vehicle burns during violent clashes outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Saggart, southwest Dublin, on Oct. 21, 2025. (Peter Murphy / AFP via Getty Images)
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin condemned the attacks on police and said there was «no justification for the vile abuse against them.»
On Wednesday, he said the girl who was allegedly raped had not been protected by the state and the circumstances around the alleged attack are of «deep concern.»
THOUSANDS MARCH IN DUBLIN AGAINST IRELAND’S MASS MIGRATION POLICIES AS MCGREGOR PURSUES PRESIDENTIAL BID
The victim was in the care of child protection services, known as «Tusla,» which said she had absconded from staff during a planned recreational trip in the city center. It is unclear how she got in contact with the suspect.
The suspect, who is in his 20s, is originally from Africa, according to the Irish Mirror. He arrived in Ireland six years ago and failed his application for international protection in 2024 and was ordered deported in March, according to the Irish Times.
The incident took place on the grounds of Citywest, a former hotel which for the last few years has been housing migrants seeking international protection.
The Irish government bought the hotel in September for around $150 million with the aim of turning it into a permanent migrant facility despite several protests by locals.
A protester waves the Irish flag in front of riot police on Oct. 21, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland. Demonstrators gathered outside the Citywest Hotel after police arrested a foreign national in connection with the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl. (Getty Images)
Tensions around mass immigration continue to bubble since November 2023 when hundreds of rioters looted shops, set fire to vehicles and threw rocks at police officers after three young children were stabbed outside a school allegedly by an Algerian-born suspect who had become an Irish citizen.
Last week, a 17-year-old Ukrainian was murdered just days after he came to Ireland and was placed in asylum care operated by Tusla. A Somalian youth, also an asylum seeker and described as a minor, has been charged with his murder, according to RTE News.
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A homeless foreign national was arrested and charged last week with the murder of an 89-year-old Irish woman, per the Irish Independent.
On Friday, Irish people go to the polls to elect a new president.
europe,crime,ireland,immigration,illegal immigrants,migrant crime,police and law enforcement
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