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NY County Clerks Refuse To Issue Driver’s Licenses To Illegals, Launch Lawsuit Against Cuomo

   DailyWire.com

Erie Country Clerk Michael “Mickey” Kearns, a Democrat, and Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican, are in the process of drafting legislation to sue New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after the Democrat signed the highly controversial Green Light bill into law, mandating that county clerks issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

Kearns sent a letter to Erie County Attorney Michael Siragusa on Tuesday, the day after Cuomo signed the Green Light bill, asking him for representation in a lawsuit over the new law in federal court, WIVB 4 reported.

“I will not be granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants,” Kearns vowed. “As the duly elected Clerk of the County of Erie, I took an oath whereby I solemnly swore to ‘support’ the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of New York, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Erie County Clerk according to the best of my ability.’”

Dinolfo, bypassing Monroe Country Clerk Adam Bello, announced on Wednesday that she would fight Cuomo’s Green Light law. “County Clerks on both sides of the aisle plan to sue to stop drivers’ licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants. Here at home, Clerk Bello has indicated he won’t stand up to Governor Cuomo. If he won’t lead on this issue, I will. I intend to take the state to court,” the county executive said.

“Back in 2007, when I served as County Clerk, I did everything in my power to prevent drivers’ licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants – including suing Governor Spitzer to stop the policy in its tracks,” Dinolfo said in a statement, according to 13WHAM News. “This year, County Clerks on both sides of the aisle have said they are prepared to do the same. Yet here at home, Clerk (Adam) Bello has indicated he is not willing to stand up to Governor Cuomo.”

“Let me be clear: because this policy puts State Law at odds with Federal Law, endangers public safety, and rewards those who have not followed the rule of law in the first place, I will not allow drivers’ licenses to be issued to illegal immigrants here without a fight,” she continued. “I am preparing to introduce legislation in our County Legislature that would bring a lawsuit against the State to challenge the constitutionality of this policy, just as the Democrat County Clerk in Erie County has said he will do. If Clerk Bello will not lead on this issue, I will.”

“The basis of the lawsuit is very clear,” the county executive elaborated to 13WHAM News. “There certainly is a discrepancy between state and federal law on immigration, and certainly unequal protection under the law for those who are here without legal status and who have entered the country illegally, and those who are with full status as full American citizens. There is an issue of fairness at play here. There is also a significant issue of public safety that is at risk and at issue, and we’ll be addressing those issues in our lawsuit as we go forward.”

As reported by The Associated Press, clerks in Niagara, Allegany, Rensselaer, and Erie County have said they will not issue driver’s licenses to illegals.

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