Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has introduced the Red Light Act, a bill aimed at withholding federal transportation funding from states that provide driver’s licenses or identification cards to illegal immigrants. The legislation targets funds allocated for specific federal highway programs, including the National Highway Performance Program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.
The move comes in response to New York’s Green Light Law, which was enacted in 2019. This law allows individuals over the age of 16, including those unlawfully present in the United States, to obtain a New York State driver’s license. In its first month of implementation, over 50,000 illegal immigrants reportedly received licenses under this law.
“Our nation is grappling with an unprecedented migrant crisis,” Congresswoman Tenney stated. She criticized states like New York for “incentivizing and rewarding criminals with driver’s licenses and identification cards.” Tenney argued that such laws enable “dangerous individuals to roam freely” and impede law enforcement by restricting access to DMV records.
The proposed legislation seeks to ensure that states not adhering to national immigration policies do not receive federal funding rewards.
