Do you realize that over 100,000 people who live, work, raise children, and pay taxes in Michigan do not have access to a driver’s license or state ID due to their immigration status? Think of the problems that arise simply by not having a valid form of identification. You can’t drive to work, your children to school, or go to the grocery store. You don’t have an acceptable ID at some pharmacies. Enrolling your children in school becomes a problem.
Do you also realize that, until 2008, these individuals were eligible for these forms of ID? We took that right away from them. Since then, some Michigan legislators have introduced bills to reinstate that right at every new legislative session but have not even been able to get a hearing in committee.
According to immigrants we work with, the inability to drive in Michigan is the number one problem they face. At our Assembly for Human Dignity on December 9th, we heard personal testimony about the daily problems resulting from not having a driver’s license and the emotional trauma that comes from being treated as “less” or as a “societal problem” instead of as a person who contributes to our community and economy.
State Senators Mary Cavanagh and Jeff Irwin and State Representatives Tyrone Carter and Regina Weiss heard the testimony on December 9th and pledged to reintroduce legislation in the first quarter of 2023 that would ensure immigrants could obtain drivers’ licenses or state IDs known as the Drive Safe bills.
We need to help start the process of getting this legislation passed. On Tuesday, February 28th SNL will hold a “Drive Safe Advocacy Day” where we will travel to Lansing to meet with our own personal legislators to introduce the Drive Safe bills and push for their support.
