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

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. The law, which took effect May 1, allows illegal immigrants to get licenses that allow them to drive and obtain auto insurance, but the cards can’t be used for federal identification purposes. The council passed the legislation last year, and Mayor Vincent C. Gray signed it into law in November...more