Michigan lawmakers want undocumented immigrants to be able to get driver's license, ID

LANSING − A group of Democratic lawmakers in Michigan is set to reintroduce legislation that would restore the ability for undocumented immigrants and others in the state to obtain a driver's license or other state identification if they can provide proof of residency.

During a news conference in Lansing on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers said the Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom and the Economy) plan is once again a priority and stands a better chance at passing now that Democrats are in the majority.

Michigan has required proof of legal residency for driver’s licenses and state IDs since 2008. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said lawmakers consulted with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Office and found the "cleanest, simplest" solution is to revert the law to its pre-2008 state.

"Essentially what these bills are doing is undoing the changes that were made that year," she said. The House version and Senate version of the bills are identical, Chang added.

Michigan passed legislation to ban issuing identification for undocumented individuals in 2008 after Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican, issued a formal opinion in 2007 saying they could not obtain driver's licenses. Cox's opinion reversed a 1995 opinion from former Attorney General Frank Kelley, a Democrat.

Supporters say allowing individuals, regardless of documentation status, to obtain proper identification would remove barriers to things like health care, financial services and housing. Beyond just undocumented individuals, the plan also would extend the ability to obtain identification for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, or people who were brought to the U.S. as minors, and children of U.S. service members who were born on foreign military bases, said Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids.

"We are in a crisis across industries, having failed to really attract and retain workers over time," Hood said. "We have a workers shortage and immigrants have been critical, critical talent to bring into the state. We're competing with states across the country to attract and retain that talent."

In addition to lawmakers, speakers from advocacy group We The People of Michigan, the Michigan Catholic Conference, and agricultural sector stakeholders spoke in support of the plan Wednesday.

"It's a commonsense piece of legislation because it simply protects human dignity, as well as protects the safety of people on the roads," said Tom Hickson, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy at the Michigan Catholic Conference.

If the plan were to become law, some 55,000 people could obtain driver's licenses in the first three years of it taking effect, per the Michigan League of Public Policy.

Nineteen states and Washington D.C. currently allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses or other identification, per the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Similar legislation had been introduced in previous legislative sessions, but never advanced under Republican control. A committee hearing for the bills was abruptly canceled in 2021.

The plan likely stands a better chance at passing, given Democratic control of both chambers. Members of Democratic leadership, including Senate President Pro Tempore Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, and House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash, D-Hamtramck, were present at Wednesday's event. Chang also said the bills could receive bipartisan support if they come to a vote, based on conversations she has had with Republican lawmakers.

Additionally, current Sen. Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, previously sponsored a bill to allow undocumented individuals to obtain IDs in 2019.

Also in 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signaled support for expanding access to driver's licenses regardless of documentation status, saying “we need to ensure that everyone’s got a path to getting a license, so they’ve got identification.”

Lansing Bureau Chief Paul Egan contributed with prior reporting.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Undocumented immigrants could get driver's license, ID in Michigan