“I passed the test!” said an emotional Iván Abarca Herrera, who was among the first in the area to obtain a driver’s license for undocumented immigrants when he aced the driving portion of his test this past Saturday.
His pride showed in his face as he discussed the process, which began on July 5, just a few days after the new law went into effect allowing undocumented immigrants to apply. He brought his documents to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, scheduled and passed his written exam and then passed the driving test. The wait is over.
Now the 39-year-old Salvadoran can “drive calmly and safely” to Fall River where he works at a seafood processing company.
So far, the Community Economic Development Center in New Bedford estimates they’ve helped almost 300 people start the process.
Gerardo Beltrán Salinas is a Chilean journalist in New Bedford.
