If you are planning to renew your driver’s license or need to replace one that’s lost or stolen – beware. A visit to any office of the Georgia Department of Driver Services is like going through immigration at the airport.

Apparently the DDS is now functioning as a border patrol checkpoint for the State of Georgia. The requirements have changed for you to renew or be issued with a license. They are now examining immigration documents and passports in great detail and they are reporting directly to the immigration authorities.

If you are a resident with an I-551 stamp, your passport cannot be allowed to expire. You will be turned away and denied any services. You are also required to show the last document issued to you by INS. If you have lost your greencard or employment authorization card and are waiting to apply for a new one, you will be denied.

The bottom line is you can no longer allow your documents to expire under any circumstances and you may face an uphill battle if your documents are lost or stolen, because as far as DDS is concerned, you will not be allowed to drive, even if you have already completed the immigration process and are a lawful permanent resident of the United States. A passport renewal can take up to six weeks. Similarly, if you lose your greencard, there is generally a waiting period, even though INS has improved this service significantly.

Driving in Georgia is a necessity and access to public transportation is not considered a right to which you are entitled. Therefore your job may be in jeopardy if you are denied a driving permit.

Thousand of legal residents are being turned away from DDS daily and treated with hostility and indifference because they are not satisfied with the documents produced and it is creating anguish and frustration in the immigrant community.

The message is clear. If you are an illegal immigrant or visitor to Georgia, you will not be able to drive. This is to ensure a very inhospitable environment for anyone who would even consider becoming and illegal immigrant. The problem is that legal immigrants are being ensnared and greatly inconvenienced by these new requirements.