LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Rescue Michigan Coalition, a grassroots organization dedicated to restoring the lost liberties of Michigan residents, is raising concerns about the possibility of impending hearings in the state. These hearings would address the issue of illegal immigrants securing driver’s licenses and state IDs based on residency proof, irrespective of their immigration status.

Hearings are reported to be on the agenda soon.

According to their sources in Lansing, Rescue Michigan has learned that Democratic lawmakers plan to hold hearings on the issue in the next few weeks. Adam de Angeli, President of the Rescue Michigan Coalition, calls it “an election fraud and illegal immigration scheme all in one.”

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The measure, which was killed about two years ago, is back from the dead, they say. They also warn their supporters not to be complacent about the hearings just because the Democrats no longer have a majority in the House. The group cautions that it only takes one Republican to vote for the legislation, saying, “When we defeated this legislation in 2021, it was Republicans who wanted to bring it up in hearings.”

What do opponents of the legislation say?

Michigan’s WKAR reports that opponents of the legislation point to national security issues to consider and the potential misuse of the driver’s licenses. They say that granting the licenses and state IDs to illegal immigrants could lead to confusion among elector workers which could allow ineligible individuals to cast votes in an election.

With the southern border in chaos and unchecked illegal immigration resulting in displaced immigrants arriving all over the country without being vetted, giving illegal immigrants IDs and driver’s licenses doesn’t seem like a good idea to many in Michigan.

Rescue Michigan says, “Think of the message this is sending to law-abiding Michiganders. We care more about rewarding those here illegally than helping you, the chumps who voted for us.”

Driver’s licenses and state IDs were issued to illegal immigrants in the past.

Before 2008, illegal immigrants in the state were able to apply for a driver’s license or state ID card after Democratic Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley issued his opinion in 1995 that illegal immigrants couldn’t be denied driver’s licenses. However, in 2007, that decision was reversed by Republican Attorney General Michael Cox. He said that because illegal immigrants weren’t residents of the state, they could not receive state ID or driver’s licenses.

Legislators in the state, mostly Democratic ones, have been trying to reverse the Cox decision ever since with new legislation. They tried in 2019, 2021 and again in 2023.

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In October of 2023, illegal immigrants and their allies in the state called on Michigan Democrats to schedule hearings on what’s referred to as the “Drive SAFE” bill package (Safety, Access, Freedom and Economy). They did so by camping out for two nights near the Capitol to raise awareness about the issue.

What do proponents of the legislation say?

Proponents of the DriveSAFE bill package cite many reasons that illegal immigrants should be able to get state ID or driver’s licenses including: fear of deportation if they get a traffic-related violation; the ability to open a bank account and access medical care; the ability to apply for a loan for a house or a lease on a rental property; a boost to the Michigan economy by making it easier for migrant farm workers to work in Michigan’s agricultural industry; making it easier for students to attend college; helping immigrants who need to get to the grocery store or doctor’s appointments; and extending the ability to obtain identification for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients.

Abraham Aiyash, a Democratic House legislator representing the 9th House District says about the Drive SAFE package, “Our legislation will finally allow all Michiganders to engage in our economy, have access to basic freedoms, and do so with the guarantee of safety.”

He went on to say, “If you live in Michigan and have proven you can be a responsible driver, you should be able to obtain a license, regardless of your immigration status. The safety of our residents should not depend on whether the federal government has figured out our broken immigration system.”

Who supports the legislation?

Current and previous supporters of the legislation includes: Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), Drive Michigan Forward (business, religious and social justice organizations), the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (nonprofit led by police officers and other law enforcement officials), the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, the ACLU of Michigan, the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, We the People of Michigan, Progress Michigan, the Michigan Farm Bureau, the American Federation of Teachers – Michigan, and the MI Catholic Conference.

Tom Hickson, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy at the Michigan Catholic Conference, says about the bill package, “It’s a commonsense piece of legislation because it simply protects human dignity, as well as protects the safety of people on the roads.”

In October of 2023, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission passed a resolution in favor of driver’s licenses for immigrants. Commission member Gloria Lara, who led the effort, said, “If someone says that you can’t drive because of where you live, or you can’t have a driver’s license because of where you live or the color of your skin that is violating civil rights.”

Michigan News Source reached out to the Democratic sponsors of the Drive SAFE bill package to ask about upcoming hearings. Senator Chang’s office got back to us to say that they are not aware of any hearings scheduled for the issue in the near future.

Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit), the legislator behind the introduced bills in the House, did not respond to our inquiry regarding the issue. Similarly, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce did not provide a comment on their stance regarding the legislation when questioned.