(AP)
North Carolina's top law enforcement authority says the state should issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who qualify for a federal deferred prosecution program.
The office of Attorney General Roy Cooper on Thursday directed the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to begin issuing driver's licenses to those granted federal work authorizations under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Federal authorities began accepting those applications in August from immigrants brought to the United States without authorization as minors. State DMV officials decided not to grant driver's licenses to those who qualified, pending direction on whether doing so would violate state law.
In a three-page legal opinion, Cooper's office says issuing licenses to those participants is not only legal, but the DMV is required to do so.