Abstract

KING, Mary C. et al. The Impact of U. S. State-Level Immigration Reform on Undocumented Mexican Migrants: The Loss of Access to Driver's Licenses in Oregon. Frontera norte [online]. 2014, vol.26, n.52, pp.55-84. ISSN 2594-0260.

The U. S. government has been paralyzed by the politics of immigration reform, shifting the center of immigration policy action to individual states. In 2008, the state of Oregon began requiring applicants for a driver's license to provide proof of legal residence in the U. S. The largest impact was felt by Oregon's Mexican population, estimated to comprise 95 percent of undocumented immigrants in the state. Interviews with nearly 400 Spanishspeaking immigrants in the summer of 2009 revealed distress and uncertainty as well as changes in driving habits resulting in less access to work, education, medical care, church attendance and recreational activities.

Keywords : imigration reform; undocumented immigrants; driver's licenses; Oregon; United States.