Illegal immigrants in D.C. fail written driver’s test at 80% rate

[Geee]

Washington Times:

Four out of five illegal immigrants seeking driver’s licenses under a new D.C. law have failed a written knowledge test — a rocky start to a program that in its first two months has issued 268 licenses, according to city officials.

 

The failure rate of 80 percent compares with a 58 percent failure rate for people seeking traditional driver’s licenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles told a D.C. Council committee. In addition, a check of the DMV website this week shows a massive backlog in appointments required to apply for the District’s “limited-purpose license.” The first available date for an illegal immigrant to get an appointment is in March, and more than 6,000 appointments are pending.

 

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The implementation is frustrating some city officials, including the D.C. Council member who sponsored the legislation to get the program started.

“On the negative side of the ledger is how this is being managed and how the DMV is handling this and their inability to efficiently help people that are applying,” said Mary M. Cheh, Ward 3 Democrat and chairwoman of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. Ms. Cheh provided statistics on the program that her committee received from the DMV.