Team — I’m emailing with an important update:

The National Immigration Law Center, in partnership with the ACLU of Indiana, recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of five Haitian immigrants who want to apply for an Indiana driver’s license or identification card — but are barred from doing so.

We’re challenging the constitutionality of H.E.A. 1050, an Indiana law passed during the 2023 legislative session that allows individuals granted humanitarian parole to obtain an Indiana driver’s license or identification card, but only if they are from Ukraine.

This law discriminates against people granted humanitarian parole from other countries who are overwhelmingly immigrants of color, infringing upon their constitutional and civil rights.

Our lawsuit argues that H.E.A. 1050 discriminates based on national origin in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Further, we argue that the state of Indiana does not have the authority to create immigration classifications that differ from those in federal law.

In Indiana, a driver's license is an essential lifeline. Without a driver's license, it is almost impossible to get to work, school, medical appointments, or shop for groceries. Everyone — regardless of who they are or where they’re from — should have access to a driver’s license or ID card. That’s why we sued and won driver’s licenses for deferred action recipients in Arizona — and it's why we're taking legal action now.

We’re determined to keep fighting until everyone has equal access to a driver’s license.

We’ll keep you updated,

Kica Matos
President
National Immigration Law Center