California residents who are living without documentation soon will be eligible to apply for driver's licenses, thanks to a new law that takes effect in the new year.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles is expecting 1.6 million immigrants to apply in the first few years, and law enforcement, community groups and others are preparing for the surge.
In central Los Angeles, about 150 parishioners recently packed into Holy Spirit Catholic Church, not for a Mass but for a training session. Presenter after presenter explained the new law, called AB60, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.
"We know that the city of L.A. has a big immigrant population that doesn't have a driver's license, and they're driving in the city of L.A.," Juan Gonzalez, a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department, told the crowd.
They're driving all over the state — in California's cities, in rural areas, commuting to work and school or just traveling. Like most people do — only in the shadows.