Lauderbach

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and its director, Frank S. Zolin, appeal a judgment granting respondents a permanent injunction requiring the DMV to issue new and renewal vehicle registrations and renewal drivers’ licenses and identification (ID) cards to aliens who are ineligible for a Social Security account number (SSN).

Facts

With the exception of Thomas Lauderbach, a United States citizen and lawful resident of California, respondents are foreign nationals whose applications for renewal drivers’ licenses or ID cards, or new and renewal vehicle registrations have been rejected by the DMV due to their failure to provide an SSN. Alleging that their “immigration status” rendered them ineligible for SSN’s, respondents obtained an injunction restraining the DMV from “implementing or enforcing [relevant provisions of the Vehicle Code] to deny individuals the issuance or renewal of a motor vehicle registration, the renewal of a driver’s license, or the renewal of an identification card where an individual lacks a[n SSN] and is legally ineligible for a[n] SSN.”

Following issuance of the trial court’s injunction and while this appeal was pending, we issued…