(DailyAnswer.org) – Illegal immigrants gathered at the Michigan state Capitol building to push lawmakers to move forward legislation that would allow them to receive driver’s licenses. The rally occurred on May 1 outside the Michigan House floor.
The activists were chanting in both English and Spanish calling for Democrat-backed legislation, which is currently held up in committees, to be moved along more quickly. Undocumented migrants previously camped outside the Michigan Capitol in October 2023 and demanded more progress on the “Drive SAFE” bill.
Democratic Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley ruled in 1995 that illegal immigrants could not be prevented from obtaining driver’s licenses. In 2007 Michael Cox, the Republican then-state Attorney General, overturned Kelley’s decision. Cox’s verdict meant that illegal immigrants were not officially considered Michigan residents and could therefore not obtain either state identification or driver’s licenses.
The House’s Democratic Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash co-sponsored the pending legislation, and Democratic Majority Leader Aiyash claimed that the bill would guarantee the safety of Michiganders, allowing them to contribute to the economy and obtain basic freedoms. The group of campaigners, Movimiento Cosecha, recognized International Workers Day by addressing the roles undocumented migrants play in agriculture as well as the dairy and poultry industries. After marching around Washington Square’s roundabout for roughly 45 minutes, the group moved on to the Capitol’s second floor when the House of Representatives was in session, warning that the Democrats would not get their vote if they did not receive their driver’s licenses.
Michigan, a key battleground state approaching the November 2024 presidential election, has seen illegal immigration become a major issue. Earlier in 2024 Brandon Ortiz-Vite, an illegal immigrant who returned to the U.S. having been previously deported under President Donald Trump’s administration, was charged with the murder of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia. According to April 2024 data, 91,000 people, or roughly 1.2% of Michigan’s population, are in the state without authorization. Michigan Representative and Republican House Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus stressed the need for stricter immigration policies and for the laws on immigration to be properly enforced.
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