LANSING – Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Friday that the Department of State will issue driver’s licenses and state identification cards to young persons brought to the United States illegally but who are now part of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The policy change is the result of recent federal guidance on the issue that said the federal government considers participants in the program to be legally present in the United States.
“Michigan will only issue driver’s licenses to individuals who are here legally,” Johnson said in a statement. “The feds now say they consider these young people to be lawfully present while they participate in the DACA program, so we are required to issue driver’s licenses and identification cards. I will continue to follow the law.”
The licenses and identification cards will expire on the date a non-citizen applicant’s legal presence expires, Johnson said.
And the change is not immediate. The department will begin accepting applications from DACA participants on February 19.
The cards will carry a “Limited Term” designation designed in part to alert local officials that the person is not authorized to register to vote. “This is another tool to help clerks ensure that only qualified residents cast a ballot on Election Day,” Johnson said. “This will also help prevent noncitizens from inadvertently registering to vote or from voting, which could result in felony charges.”
Civil rights advocates, who had protested the former policy of not issuing the IDs, and sued to overturn it, praised the decision.
“Today’s announcement is a tremendous victory for the thousands of young people who may not have been born here, however have only known this country to be home,” Miriam Aukerman, staff attorney with the ACLU of Michigan, said in a statement. “They have the same dreams as other young Americans — contribute to their communities and make a difference in the world. Last June, the federal government gave them a chance to fulfill these dreams. Today, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is helping to make their dreams a reality. We look forward to dismissing our lawsuit and turning the page to a more welcoming and inclusive Michigan.”
“Michigan today reached a decision that is legally and morally sound,” Tanya Broder, senior attorney with the National Immigration Law Center, said. “Their decision provides DREAMers with deferred action the opportunity to contribute more fully to their communities and to their families. Arizona and Nebraska, which continue to deny driver’s licenses to DREAMers, should take note: they are among a dwindling number of states that stand on the wrong side of history and the law.”
The Michigan Catholic Conference, which was not involved in the lawsuit challenging the policy, saw the decision as an improvement for human rights.
“Michigan Catholic Conference extends its appreciation to Secretary Johnson for addressing this important policy,” the group said in a statement. “Transportation, especially for low-income persons, is of critical importance for education and employment, among other factors that promote a standard of living. Today’s announcement presents an opportunity to address immigration as a matter of human dignity, to promote the principle of love for one’s neighbor and to encourage comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level.”
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