Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs historic drivers’ licenses bill into law

New law to benefit the 5000 Irish undocumented living in Illinois

Asked about the Irish voice in the debate Celts Chairman Billy Lawless poignantly noted “The Irish have once again played an instrumental role in a key piece of legislation, which will directly benefit the 5000 Irish undocumented living in Illinois who up to now could not get a driver’s license.”  He went on to add “the key to our success in Illinois was strength in unity with our immigrant cousins from other countries…we made key alliances and spoke with one voice and in the end we prevailed.  Illinois is once again a model for the nation and other states on how to move things forward.”

The bill allows any immigrant in Illinois to secure a temporary visitors’ driver’s license (TVDL) if he or she can provide proof of residency in Illinois for the last year, a valid passport or consular ID and pass all road tests. 

The license will cost $30 but will appear somewhat different to the regular IL driver’s license; they will be colored purple as opposed to the red of regular licenses.  The TVDL already exists for foreign nationals who are here on student visas or temporary work visas.  It will not be valid for proof of identity to board a plane or enter a federal building and will be marked “not valid for identification”.  It can however be used as a bond card in the event that the holder is pulled over by a police officer and given that it is the same TVDL available to foreign students and visa holders law enforcement cannot assume that the holder is undocumented. 

The licenses will prevent drivers from being incarcerated for not having a license if pulled over, which will in turn reduce the number of families torn apart by deportation.  They will be made available October 1, 2013.

The Secretary of State estimates that the new licenses move will cost $800,000 in its first year but even if only 30,000 of the estimated 250,000 undocumented drivers in Illinois apply and pay the $30 fee, the initiative will be revenue neutral and may even turn a profit.  This was a key provision for many lawmakers concerned about the dire fiscal problems faced by the state of Illinois.
Proponents of the bill see its passage as a precursor to immigration reform at the national level, which is picking up steam as we speak.  Today, Monday January 28 a group of eight Democratic and Republican senators unveiled their plans for comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the shadows.  While a drop in the ocean such moves would also affect the 50,000 Irish men and women who find themselves in immigration limbo.

President Obama, buoyed by his recent electoral success and ready to expend some of his political capital, will announce his own plans for immigration reform in Las Vegas on Tuesday.  He promised such moves in his first term but was unable to deliver, however the stage is now set for real progress on the issue.  Both parties recognize the growing importance of changing demographics and the Latino vote, but none more so than the Republicans who lost the Latino vote by 70 to 30 in the recent presidential run-off.  They understand only too well that the White House may evade them again if they do not appeal more to Latinos who currently find the GOP a cold house for their interests.

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Nster.com