Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has called on Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to apologize and provide details about the state's policy of issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, following a fatal crash in Ohio allegedly involving a driver with such a license.
Guillermo Naula-Ochoa, 34, an Ecuadorian national described as homeless, was driving a truck in Fulton County, Ohio, on August 29 when he allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign and collided with a vehicle driven by Austin J. Karr Grimes, 29, of Fayette, Ohio. Grimes suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Naula-Ochoa was charged with vehicular manslaughter and failing to yield. Federal authorities lodged an immigration detainer against him.
Moreno stated that Naula-Ochoa had been issued a driver's license by Connecticut. "My office has learned that an illegal alien granted a drivers license by the state of Connecticut killed a 29 year old Ohioan in a reckless driving accident," Moreno posted on X. He criticized Connecticut's drive-only license program, which allows individuals without legal status or a Social Security number to obtain a license for driving purposes.
"Horrifyingly, Connecticut not only permits illegal aliens to receive a driver’s license, but encourages it, all while Americans pay the ultimate price," Moreno wrote in a letter to Lamont. "Your policies are killing my constituents. You should be ashamed of this policy and its dangerous consequences, yet your support for illegal aliens knows no bounds."
Moreno also questioned how many such licenses Connecticut has issued, how many recipients have committed crimes, and whether any have registered or voted. He urged Lamont to reconsider the policy before another American becomes a victim.
In response, Lamont defended Connecticut's program, stating that it helps ensure all drivers are trained, tested, and aware of road rules. "This reduces hit-and-run accidents and brings more drivers into the insurance system who might otherwise be driving uninsured," Lamont said in a statement. "Undocumented residents in many states already need to drive for work, school, and daily life; it’s safer for everyone when that driving happens within a regulated system."
Moreno countered on X, stating, "The answer to the presence of illegal aliens is NOT to 'train them' and allow them on our roads to wreak havoc. The answer is to DEPORT them!" He suggested that Democratic politicians support such policies to gain voters.
The issue of undocumented immigrants driving with state-issued licenses has been a point of contention, with federal officials arguing that such licenses can complicate immigration enforcement. The Justice Department has previously sued New York over its law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.