“It was a way for me to come out of hiding,” said Nava, 32. Second was cemetery operator licenses, which saw 36 applicants, followed by security guard licenses, which drew 32 applications. California’s workforce includes 1.85 million people in the U.S. illegally, according to an estimate by the Public Policy Institute of California. Gonzalez and Nava said it also helps their businesses to be able to show clients a state license. These days, Nava is back in an air-conditioned barbershop doing what he loves thanks to a year-old California law that allows immigrants in the U.S. illegally to apply for state licenses as barbers, cosmetologists, auto mechanics, security guards and other professions.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 08, 2016 01:37 UTC