Undocumented immigrants in Illinois will be able to obtain a driver’s license starting July 1, under legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year.
Undocumented residents will be issued a standard four-year drivers license, which will serve as a valid form of identification and be issued instead of the current Temporary Visitor Driver’s License, according to a previous news release from Pritzker’s office.
“This legislation is a significant step in eliminating the barriers to opportunity that many undocumented immigrants face,” Pritzker said in a news release in June, when he signed the measure into law. “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.”
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias previously said that Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses had become the ‘”Scarlet Letter’ of an individual’s immigration status and exposed them to discrimination or immigration enforcement.”
“This legislation allows immigrants to obtain standard driver licenses that will serve as authentic identification in Illinois,” he said in a news release. “It will help prevent the stigma, instances of discrimination, and problems that TVDLs have been known to cause while making roads safer and enabling immigrants to use a standard license as identification for basic necessities like filling prescriptions or renting an apartment.”
Source : 5 Chicago
