A bill to allow all New York state residents to apply for a driver’s license regardless of their immigration status passed the state Assembly on Wednesday in a 86-50 vote. Supporters of the bill say it will create safer roads, boost the state’s economy and protect New York families ― including by preventing traffic infractions from turning into deportations. The Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the “Green Light” bill, would expand the types of documents that New Yorkers can submit for a noncommercial driver’s license. Applicants who have not been issued a social security number could submit a signed affidavit instead. The legislation is part of a nationwide push for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, which are already available in 12 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. New York, which is home to an estimated 725,000 undocumented people, would be the second-largest state to implement such a policy. “What many people do not realize is that undocumented immigrants are already on the road, but they are doing so without a license or insurance,” said New York Transportation Committee Chair William Magnarelli in a statement. Safe roads are ones on which all drivers are properly licensed, trained and insured, Magnarelli said.

Heather Ainsworth/AP Photo Eladio Beltran, right, pushes his children in a car at their home in Albion, New York. Beltran faces deportation because he was arrested for driving without a license. He is one of the many undocumented workers hoping to benefit from the "Green Light" bill.