Undocumented Migrants Set to Apply for Illinois Driver’s Licenses on July 1

Non-citizens, migrants, and illegal aliens will be permitted to apply for a driver’s license in Illinois starting on July 1.

Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed HB 3882 in June of last year to allow all migrants to get a state driver’s license, and the law is about to go into effect.
“This legislation is a significant step in eliminating the barriers to opportunity that many undocumented immigrants face,” Pritzker said when he signed the legislation last year. “We’re ensuring every eligible individual can obtain a driver’s license, making our roads safer, decreasing stigma, and creating more equitable systems for all.”

Republicans opposed the law with Republican Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer saying the whole thing was just a scheme to hide a person’s immigration status from police.

“I think the reality is we’re trying to turn undocumented individuals into documented individuals,” Davidsmeyer said, according to The Capital News. “We have individuals who have come here outside of the legal process, and I know the legal process is broken. So why don’t we work on encouraging the federal government to actually do something to fix a broken system, instead of hiding the fact that it’s broken.”

A major concern for Republicans is the possibility of voter fraud.

Illinois has what it calls the “AVR” system, or Automatic Voter Registration. The system is supposedly engineered to make sure non-citizens are blocked from registering to vote. But the system is also configured to allow would-be voters to register simply on their word that they are eligible to vote.

Per the state’s website: “AVR maintains the voter attestation method of registration for the large majority of voter registration applications. Through this method of registration you are asked if you would like to register to vote and are required to affirm certain criteria, such as age and citizenship, and provide your signature.”

State officials, though, claim that fears of illegal aliens registering to vote are overblown. The secretary of state’s office also notes that non-citizens who are afforded licenses will be “coded differently” so that illegal aliens will not be offered voter registration when they are processed for a driver’s license.

But Republicans also worry that, while illegal aliens may not register when they apply for a driver’s license, they may use their licenses later to register.

On July 1, Illinois will join California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Colorado in offering licenses to illegal immigrants.

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