BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON — The North Country’s state representatives, St. Lawrence County Sheriff, District Attorney and other local police chiefs are calling on state legislators to pass legislation to exclude border counties from the “Green Light Law.” 

In an address to multiple news outlets, Senator Dan Stec called the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, which is often referred to as the  Green Light Law, passed in 2019, “simply moronic.” 

“There’s a growing crisis on our northern border, and especially here in the Swanton Sector, specifically the North Country of New York,” Stec said. 

18,000 apprehended 

Stec pointed toward the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act as a large catalyst for ongoing communication issues for law enforcement agencies. He said that due in large part to the legislation over 18,000 illegal migrants have been apprehended since Oct. 2023 in the Swanton Sector, which is a border region that includes St. Lawrence County.

The sector covers the State of Vermont; Clinton, Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence and Herkimer counties of New York; and Coos, Grafton and Carroll counties of New Hampshire. 

Stec says the number of people coming through Swanton illegally far exceeds the next closest sector on the northern border.

“They have only had around 1,100 in the same timeframe. The Swanton Sector has seen more apprehensions than two sectors on the southern border now. One is in Texas, the other is in California. This is a very serious, growing problem,” Stec said.

The Driver's License Access and Privacy Act was enacted on June 17, 2019 and took effect on Dec. 16, 2019. It allows all New Yorkers age 16 and older to apply for a standard, not-for-federal purpose, non-commercial driver license or learner permit regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States.

Licenses issued under that law are not recognized at the federal level.

Assemblyman Scott Gray explained that the Green Light Laws restrict the sharing of information between local and federal agencies. He said they can't access driving records or criminal records, which can create a dangerous situation for border agents.

"One border patrol agent told me that unless they change this a border patrol agent could encounter a New York State resident with a murder warrant and not know it," he said.

Gray says the proposed changes would exempt border counties from the Green Light Laws, which would allow information sharing in counties like St. Lawrence County.

Sheriff speaks

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle also took a few minutes to raise his list of concerns, a list that continues to grow as lines of communication are still unusable under the existing “Green Light Law.” 

Engle, like a number of officers in local agencies, works as part of a federal task force and shares office space with federal agencies. 

However, under the “Green Light Law,” those local officers are not legally allowed to share information or access the same databases. 

He said that conflict could be a violation of the law. 

“We have to have this information. We have to know who these people are so we can further our investigation. It’s hindered, it hinders the process,” Engle said. 

But it extends beyond just New York. Engle said the issue is a national one that is growing. 

“The other issue is it’s not just a northern border issue. It’s way bigger than that. I said I wasn’t going to say a lot but, but it frustrates me. It should frustrate every American,” he said. 

He went on further, saying an open border policy is endangering members of the communities that he swore to protect. 

“I don’t understand how somebody can jeopardize every community in this country by having an open border policy. They say they’re vetting these people. How can they vet this many people?” he asked. 

Engle commented that relationships like those with Russia, China and Venezuela give him pause about the current border policy. 

He said given the strained relationships with some countries, it may be difficult to verify a migrant’s history. 

“If something doesn’t sound right, you need to check into it. I just can’t see any good reason to have an open border. Look what’s happening in Chicago or Colorado or other places. Why do we let it get that far?” he asked. 

Stec, Gray and Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush all commented that they would continue to pick up the fight in Albany but commented that it would be a difficult fight with half of the state legislature coming from New York City. 

“We will keep fighting to pass this legislation. Would we like to repeal the whole thing? Absolutely. But that’s a non-starter if we tried that. So that’s why we want to exempt the border counties, especially the North Country counties, from the ‘Green Light Law’. It needs to happen for public safety and for our law enforcement agencies to protect our communities,” Stec said. 

Green Light support

Supporters of the Green Light Laws say the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act allows non-commercial driver license or learner's permit applicants to be able to submit additional proofs of identity to be eligible for a non-Federal license. It also waives the social security number requirement if the applicant signs an affidavit that they have not been issued a social security number and provides the DMV with discretion to approve additional proofs of identity and age. 

They say the legislation “protects the data of the applicants from unwarranted release.”

Supporters say the  legislation provides additional government revenue, supports New York businesses and increases road safety.

In a statement of support, the Business Council of New York State said that this legislation is “an opportunity to increase these New Yorkers’ ability to support local employers and businesses.” In Connecticut, where a similar policy was implemented four years ago, there have been almost 4,000 fewer unlicensed driving convictions and hit-and-run crashes have dropped 9% between 2016 and 2018.