Washington state will no longer ask residents to list their place of birth on documents given to obtain driver’s licenses the state said. The move comes after it was revealed that the state’s licensing department was providing residents’ personal information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials that could be used to identify and deport immigrants in the state.
Washington is one of a few states that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order last year declaring that the state would not help federal authorities identify or deport illegal immigrants.
The Department of Licensing had apparently been providing the information in contradiction to the governor’s order. The DOL’s deputy director resigned after it as revealed that the department had been doing so. The DOL’s director issued a statement saying, “We are sorry that our work did not align with our state’s values.”