Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law on Friday that will allow illegal immigrants to acquire standard driver’s licenses.
Illinois Allows Illegals To Drive Without Citizenship
The new driver’s licenses will replace the current Temporary Visitor Driver’s License (TVDL) and will last for four years. Over 300,000 people in Illinois currently have a TVDL.
“This legislation is a significant step in eliminating the barriers to opportunity that many undocumented immigrants face,” Pritzker said in a statement.
“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.”
“Federal Limits Apply”
Illinois has had a Temporary Visitor Driver’s License program for a decade that allowed noncitizens that meet certain criteria to obtain a license that noted “NOT VALID FOR IDENTIFICATION” across the top. Signed Friday, the new license will say “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY.”
State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mohamet, opposed the bill. He questioned Democrats meddling in immigration issues the federal government controls.
“This is a federal issue that needs a federal solution, not a state of Illinois gesticulation to the wills of the Chicago political machine who does nothing but kowtows to illegal immigrants,” Rose said.
The bill passed along partisan lines. State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said partisan bills are the norm at the Democrat-controlled Illinois Statehouse.
Stipulations To The Drivers License
Undocumented immigrants must still pass a driving test, have valid insurance, provide identification documents and prove Illinois residency for at least one year.
The new law will go into effect this coming Jan. 1, 2024.
Today, there are about 425,000 illegal immigrants living in Illinois, according to some estimates.
Chicago continues to struggle to accommodate foreign nationals and asylum seekers who have unlawfully crossed the border, and are looking for somewhere to be housed and taken care of.
The city recently passed a controversial measure to provide $51 million in funding to provide housing for the roughly 10,000 foreign nationals who have arrived in the Windy City over the past year.
Further Reading:
16 Illegals Arrested on FBI’s Terror Watchlist at Mexico Crossing
American Red Cross Directs Illegals to Cross U.S. Border
Noncitizens and Illegals Able to Vote in Elections
Biden Admin Questioned About 85,000 Missing Migrant Children
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