New figures show that the number of identification theft investigations collapsed by 30 percent in California after a program allowing illegal aliens to apply for driver’s licenses was implemented in 2015, according to a FOIA request obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Breitbart News reported in late January 2015 that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) told investigators to ignore cases alleging identity thefts committed by illegal aliens who were applying for drivers’ licenses. An anonymous DMV source provided Breitbart with internal documents revealing the policy.
Specifically, documents told investigators that ID theft committed by illegals for the purpose of obtaining driver’s licenses is acceptable so long as the ID was not also used in a crime. How investigators determined whether the ID was used in a crime is unclear.
The new FOIA data filed by the Immigration Reform Law Institute shows the number of reported ID theft cases before and after the program came into play. The figures reflect that the anonymous DMV source provided accurate information about the internal policy for investigators. The anonymous source told Breitbart the policy likely came straight from the governor’s office and only applied to illegal aliens. A legal citizen would not be exempt from ID theft investigations.
From July 2013 to June 2014, there were 4,400 reported cases of ID theft. But when Assembly Bill 60 — the legislation which introduced the driver’s license program for illegals — was implemented in January 2015, the number of reported cases, measured from July 2014 to June 2015, fell to just 3,100. This a 30 percent drop in cases.
The drop likely comes from the latter half of the fiscal year when DMV investigators were reportedly told to ignore past cases of ID fraud discovered from illegal alien applicants.
Recent data showed that nearly 50 percent of all driver’s licenses issued in 2015 went to illegal immigrants. The total number of licenses issued is 605,000. In all, 830,000 illegals applied for licensing, as of Dec. 31, 2015. The program established by Assembly Bill 60 will cost the state $141 million over a period of three years.
“The DMV Investigations Division receives approximately 18,000 cases a year, which include identity theft,” the California DMV office of public affairs told TheDCNF. “The California DMV has multiple layers of advanced security to guard against fraudulent applications for driver licenses and identification cards. DMV is committed to increasing safety on California roads and ensuring that every eligible individual has a single accurate driver record. If any financial fraud is associated with identity theft or other criminal activity in the course of the investigations, the applicant may be referred for possible criminal prosecution.”
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