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Non-Citizens To Get Different Driver's Licenses

North Carolina driver's license
NCDOT

State DOT officials will issue redesigned driver's licenses later this year that will visually distinguish citizens from non-citizens.   Immigrants here under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will notice their licenses will have the words "No Lawful Status" printed on them.  State DOT spokeswoman Greer Beaty says those words will be in a bar across the top that will differ from the blue on a normal license.

"That bar will be pink so it will be easy for officials and others to see that they have time limited status here," Beaty said.

The North Carolina ACLU was pleased about the re-issuing of immigrant licenses..but says the changes could lead to discrimination.  Raul Pinto is an ACLU attorney.

"These are people that are now going to be issued this license with a brand on it and it could just be a bull's eye," Pinto said.

The A-C-L-U says it may consider legal action if the state DOT makes the change.

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
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