As the mother of a young daughter who has epilepsy, Gema Lowe often needs to pick up and purchase necessary medicine for her child at a local pharmacy. As with other customers, she is usually asked for her driver's license to pick up the prescription drugs. But because the Grand Rapids woman lacks a driver's license due to her immigration status, Lowe sometimes faces problems in getting the medicine.
"It becomes a hassle," Lowe, of Grand Rapids, told the Free Press. "It's a human right for people to travel from place A to place B ... to be mobile, to do your daily things you have to do."
But for thousands of Michiganders, that's not possible because the state in 2007 ended the practice of allowing all residents to get a driver's license regardless of their immigration status. The following year, 2008, state legislators approved a law that said undocumented immigrants could not get driver's licenses. In 1995, then Attorney General Frank Kelley had issued an opinion saying undocumented immigrants could receive driver's licenses, but in 2007, Attorney General Mike Cox reversed that decision. Former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Governor Jennifer Granholm sided with Cox.
Now, immigrant advocates are asking Democrats to push for a package of House and Senate bills called Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom, Economy) that would reinstate the ability of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, to obtain driver's licenses. Some agriculture and business leaders, along with the Michigan Catholic Conference, have also voiced support for the bills.
With Democrats in charge of both chambers and the governor's office, this would be an opportune time to pass the legislation given Republican opposition; Republicans will take control of the House next year. Advocates say the bills would generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state, reduce car insurance premiums for all Michiganders and improve traffic safety, as well as help grow Michigan's population. Over a 10-year period, the new driver's licenses would generate $100 million in revenue in Michigan, estimates the Michigan League for Public Policy
About 55,000 additional people in Michigan would be able to obtain driver's licenses if the bills pass, according to Christine Sauvé, a manager at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. There are 21 states, including Illinois and Minnesota, that have passed similar laws.
A couple of rallies were held this week by immigrants and advocates in Lansing outside the Capitol building asking legislators to pass House Bills 4410, 4411 and 4412 and Senate Bills 265, 266 and 267 to restore driver's licenses. Some, such as Lowe, are also going on a hunger strike to help bring attention to the cause. "Licensias para todos," Licenses for all, read a placard held by a protester with Cosecha Michigan, an immigrant advocacy group, at a Tuesday protest at the Capitol. Another protester held up a sign drawn like a Michigan license plate that read: "Licensias ahora," Licenses now.
"We see it as a win win for every Michigan resident, and especially so for those who need to get safely to work and to school and do the things that we all take for granted," Sauvé said.
But despite getting several sponsors, the bills are languishing in committees due to a lack of support from key Democrats, advocates said. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and House Speaker Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, have not spoken up recently in support of the bills. Spokespersons for Whitmer, Tate and state Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, the Senate majority leader, did not return messages seeking comment on the bills. Brinks is listed as one of the sponsors of the Senate bills. The legislative session ends next week and so the bills need to be acted upon immediately, activists said. Some have accused the Democrats of reducing their support for immigrants amid attacks from Donald Trump and other Republicans.
Republican leaders in Michigan have come out strongly against the bills. State Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, the Senate minority leader, called the bills "ridiculous" in a post on X this week, telling people to "follow our immigration laws." State Rep. Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, the incoming House speaker, said last month in a post on X that bill supporters "want to reward illegal aliens with driver's licenses -- incentivizing criminal invaders is an affront to Michigan values and compromises our public safety."
State Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, the incoming House Democratic leader starting next year, told the Free Press he supports the bills, calling them "a meaningful step toward improving the lives of thousands of Michigan residents who are currently excluded from basic services simply because they lack proof of U.S. citizenship or immigration status."
There are about 91,000 undocumented immigrants living in Michigan, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The bills would also help immigrants who are documented, but may currently lack the paperwork required for verification or are in the process of becoming legal residents. Lowe, for example, is undocumented, but is in the process of trying to obtain residency.
Padma Kuppa, of Troy, a former state representative, introduced similar bills in 2021-22 that failed to pass. She said that some legal immigrants on certain visa programs such as H1B in her district in Oakland County faced difficulties in getting licenses and REAL IDs, which will soon be required to board domestic flights.
Puri said that "undocumented residents in Michigan are also parents, professionals and workers who are integral to our state and economy, and this legislation will ensure everyone on our roads is properly licensed, tested and insured -- making our roads safer for all of us."
Puri added that the bills would not allow for illegal voting.
"For those with concerns or misinformation, let me emphasize: These bills include clear provisions ensuring that the licenses and ID cards cannot be used for voting purposes," he said. "This is about dignity, safety and fairness for all Michiganders."
The Michigan League For Public Policy's report on driver's licenses for immigrants said reinstating driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants would boost state revenue by $13.5 million and contribute $12 million in recurring revenue. About $9 million of that would be from "sales and gas taxes related to vehicle ownership," the report said. In addition, annual auto insurance premiums would go down by about $20 a year for all drivers in the state, the group said.
Diego Navarette, of Detroit, said the bills are "basic common sense policy" that would help many in Michigan. As a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient who was born to undocumented immigrants, Navarette is anxious about his status and undocumented family members when Trump becomes president next month.
Having driver's licenses would provide "relief ... knowing that they won't be separated from their families every time they go to the store, drop the kids off at school, to the hospital," said Navarette, a coordinator with We the People Michigan, one of the groups that held a rally this week for the bills.
He added that it's "also is good policy for all Michiganders" since there will be more licensed and insured drivers on the road, which increases public safety. The licenses also increase the number of auto purchases, increasing revenue from sales and gas taxes.
"In Michigan, having a driver's license is vital for being able to participate in community life and take care of our families, and that is no different for undocumented residents of the state," said Tom Hickson, vice president for public policy and advocacy for the Michigan Catholic Conference, which is the main lobbying group for the Catholic Church in the state.
The Catholic group cited the testimony of Laura, an Ann Arbor resident who is an immigrant and can't get a license.
"The impact for us is being unable to drive and do our own chores, like going to the store, buying what we need, taking our children to school, going to the doctor, and participating in our children's schools," Laura said in a video posted by the Catholic Conference.
Lowe said that in order to get the medication for her daughter, she sometimes relies on an ID provided by the Mexican consulate, but that sometimes does not work for others.
Navarette and other advocates cited a Data for Progress survey of more than 700 residents that shows a majority in Michigan support the bills, with 77% of Democrats backing them.
Traffic stops are one of the leading ways that people get deported, Navarette said.
"And so if legislators are serious about protecting communities like mine, then the least they could do is pass Drive SAFE (bills) before the year ends," he said.