Letter to the Hon. Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, and the Hon. Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Cortez Masto demands fix to system error preventing Nevada TPS recipients from renewing driver's licenses

Letter

Dear Acting Secretary McAleenan and Acting Director Cuccinelli:

I write today with an urgent concern regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients who are unable to obtain or renew their driver's licenses in my home state of Nevada. According to recent news reports, this issue is occurring because the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) verifies lawful status through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) System. The system erroneously shows the administration's original TPS cancellation date, rather than the extended deadline, forcing the Nevada DMV to deny driver's license renewals to immigrants who should be eligible.

More than 6,000 Nevadans currently have TPS. TPS recipients have legal status in the U.S. and should be able to receive or renew their driver's licenses and other state identification without issue. This oversight of a critical immigration verification system is unacceptable and could negatively impact thousands of TPS holders who need their licenses for their day-to-day lives, not just to drive but to board planes, show eligibility for state services, and interact with businesses. This also threatens public safety by increasing the likelihood that drivers are on the road without a valid license.

I hope this matter will be addressed as soon as possible. Please contact my staff with status updates and an estimated resolution date. I appreciate your expeditious response to this issue.

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