Local & State
Ohio senators push for end to ‘drive-only’ licenses for undocumented immigrants after fatal crash
PN Team • 2 months ago
Ohio Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno are calling on federal officials to crack down on state "drive-only" license programs that let undocumented immigrants obtain driving privileges without proof of legal U.S. presence. The push follows an Aug. 29 crash in Fulton County, Ohio, in which Washington G. Naula-Ochoa, who held a drive-only license issued in Connecticut, allegedly ran a stop sign and struck another vehicle, killing 29-year-old Austin Grimes. Naula-Ochoa has pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide; ICE has requested he be held for custody transfer.
Husted wrote to the Transportation and Homeland Security secretaries urging "swift and decisive action" against such policies, while Moreno sent a letter to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont blaming the state's policy for Grimes' death and requesting data on license recipients and associated costs. Ohio requires legal-presence verification for licenses, but 19 states and Washington, D.C. allow drive-only issuance, arguing it improves road safety by ensuring more drivers are trained and insured. The debate touches on broader immigration enforcement and state policy fights likely to intensify heading into election cycles.
Sources:
Sentiment
- Connecticut Connecticut's drive-only license policy is blamed by a senator for contributing to a fatal crash.
- State governments of the United States State drive-only license programs are portrayed as a contributing factor to a fatal crash and criticized by senators.
- Ohio Ohio is mentioned as the location of the crash and as having stricter licensing laws, a neutral factual reference.
- United States Senate The Senate is referenced tangentially as the body the senators belong to, without direct evaluative content.
- Sean Duffy Sean Duffy is implied as a letter recipient via his role as Transportation Secretary but not directly discussed.
- Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. is mentioned only as one jurisdiction that allows drive-only licenses, a factual note.