‘A betrayal’: Advocates blast California plan to share information on immigrant drivers

by Khari Johnson and Wendy Fry, CalMatters April 29, 2026April 28, 2026

FILE: The DMV has asked for $55 million to share its driver license data to a national organization. Advocates say the move could endanger unauthorized immigrants. Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)

CALIFORNIA IS PREPARING TO SHARE with an outside organization detailed information about driver’s license holders, including immigrants who do not have legal authorization to live in the U.S.

That breaks a promise the state made a decade ago when it began issuing licenses to unauthorized immigrants, advocates say, and it means more than 1 million people may face higher risk of deportation.

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