The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MVA) decision to authenticate a customer’s valid foreign driver’s license issued by the Palestinian Authority following CAIR’s call for an investigation into a refusal to do so.
“We commend the MVA for its decision to rectify the error and uphold fairness and equality for their customer. CAIR is seeking training for employees at this branch to prevent this from happening again,” said CAIR’s Maryland director Zainab Chaudry. “Ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and without prejudice is essential for a just society, and we will continue to advocate for the protection of civil rights and equal treatment under the law, including for Palestinians.”
In a statement, the Palestinian license holder said:
“As a newcomer to the United States, I was shocked and disappointed when my valid Palestinian driver’s license was not authenticated by the MVA. Despite providing proof of identity and following the guidelines on their website, I was informed that my license ‘could not be verified.’ This denial caused significant stress. I am grateful for the support and assistance provided by CAIR during this challenging situation. Finally, with CAIR’s help, I was able to obtain my driver’s license.”
The denial of service had placed a financial and emotional burden on the customer and delayed her ability to seek a job.
On May 21, in a letter to the Beltsville branch of the MVA, CAIR wrote in part:
“The MVA’s website lists the occupied Palestinian territories as a state from which one can transfer their driver’s license (See attachment B). Despite her proof of identity, the Beltsville MVA failed to provide legitimate justification for why [customer’s] driver’s license could not be authenticated.
“Instead, [the customer] was reportedly informed that she would have to undergo the knowledge test and driving test and receive a driving school certification. This places an additional financial burden on [customer] on top of mandatory expenses she has already paid for transferring a foreign license, such as completing the Drug and Alcohol course.
“You may be aware that the USCIS recognized [customer’s] documentation as authentic before issuing her immigration papers. It is odd that the federal government has a framework to recognize the validity of Palestinian documentation, yet Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration has reportedly failed to do so. State agencies should be following the lead of federal agencies in upholding the designated policies and practices for validating foreign documents.”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com