LANSING – In a bipartisan move to protect thousands of Michigan jobs, the Senate today approved a House Democratic plan that reverses the questionable actions of the Attorney General and Secretary of State that ban legal citizens from receiving a driver's license. In addition, the legislation will help keep our families safe by banning illegal immigrants from obtaining a driver's license in Michigan. The legislation now heads to the Governor for her consideration.
The action came in response to an outcry from domestic and international business leaders regarding the confusion between Attorney General Mike Cox and Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land on the subject of issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
"Unfortunately, the questionable actions by the Attorney General and Secretary of State placed thousands of jobs in jeopardy," said House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.). "Not only is it wrong to deny a legal resident a driver's license, but it affects a person's ability to perform their job and provide for their families. It also makes people and businesses that want to invest in Michigan feel unwelcome. I applaud the legislature for working in a bipartisan fashion to protect Michigan jobs."
Yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union sued Land on behalf of six Michigan residents who have permission from the federal government to live and work in the United States -- including a University of Michigan language assessment specialist from Singapore and a political refugee in Detroit who was granted asylum after being tortured for his political activity in Africa -- but are unable to get driver's licenses under Land's and Cox's extreme rules.
In December, Cox's Opinion 7210 declared that licenses could be granted to only "permanent" residents as opposed to those with a "legal presence." Land, in turn, instructed her clerks to issue new driver's licenses or state IDs to only those who are permanent legal Michigan residents, meaning anyone on a temporary work visa or otherwise in the country legally wouldn't qualify for a driver's license.
The legislation, which was supported by the state's businesses community and is the first legislation that will deny illegal immigrants a driver's license, will:
- Reverse the extreme actions of state officials banning legal citizens from receiving a driver's license.
- Deny illegal immigrants a license without increasing fees.
- Require that licenses include physical security features that prevent tampering, counterfeiting or duplication of the license for fraudulent purposes.