“I have my work permit, I have my social security number, I pay my taxes, I go to college, I work, I don’t have a criminal record. I’ve never been pulled over, because I drive like an old man,” he said. “I was doing everything right.”
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The day of his arrest, an emergency habeas corpus petition was filed by The Arroyo Law Firm in federal court in Orlando. It contended his detainment violated the Fourth, Fifth and 14th Amendments and that he should be released. The firm has secured the release of more than two dozen people detained using similar arguments.
Six days later, Judge Paul Byron ordered A.G…’s release without a hearing. A.G. learned of his release hours later.
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Immigration authorities held onto all of his documents — a frustration shared by numerous detainees and their attorneys in recent months — including his driver’s license and work permit. Now, he needs a ride to and from work and class. Attorneys filed a motion to get them back, but so far, he doesn’t have them.
Laws vary by state, but the drivers license (the plastic card) is fairly easy to deal with. The card isn’t your license; it’s a photo ID and a document proving you are licensed. Assuming he has the other identity (etc) documents required, he can just walk into a DMV and get a replacement copy.
not without those documents. even though getting a replacement has a lower bar of proof of identity, the person may still be unable to meet it
A valid concern, and why I mentioned it as an assumption. I don’t know what documents Florida allows/requires, especially for a non-citizen. The article only mentions 3 documents at all (license, work permit, social security).
Does he have a Venezuelan passport at home? Does Florida accept it for a replacement card? Combined with a credit card (yes, as a form of ID), I believe that’s enough for my state.
In Florida, you would definitely need your resident ID because it would have the current address, and your Social Security card because all Florida IDs are required to be Real ID compliant. As a non-citizen, it is possible he may also need his work permit. I don’t know about that. but it is Florida, and they are real assholes about that shit down here.
Source: I am currently a Orlando, Florida resident
edit: plus, there may be more ICE assholes at the DMV, and even if he did have his paperwork, they might just arrest him again anyway for the fuck of it