CASA Celebrates Passage of Act Allowing Immigrant Drivers to Qualify for Licenses

Annapolis, MD – On Friday, the Maryland House of Delegates took a final vote on a bill that would grant undocumented immigrants that live and raise families inMaryland access to drivers licenses. The Maryland Highway Safety Act (SB 715/HB 789) would permit immigrants to obtain a limited-use driver’s license that allows them to access the driver’s education and auto insurance coverage important to safe streets.
“Marylandonce again proved that despite a broken immigration system, reasonable minds can build safe communities that are knit together by our common interests,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland. “Our members, mothers and fathers, shop owners and seamstresses, need access to licenses to get to work, to drive their children to school, to take their parents to the doctor. Thanks to the visionary leadership of the Maryland General Assembly, they are one step closer to making those journeys without fear.”
CASA de Maryland, a key advocate in support of the measure, was joined by the Maryland Catholic Conference, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the ACLU of Maryland, and other faith and community organizations. The bill was supported by public safety and political leaders such as County Executives Isiah “Ike” Leggett ofMontgomeryCounty and Rushern Baker ofPrince George’s County, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,Prince George’sCountyState’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, and many others.
“We applaud the leadership of Senate Sponsor Victor Ramirez, House Sponsor Jolene Ivey, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph Vallario, and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian Frosh,” said Mr. Torres. “These political leaders knew that driver’s license access for immigrants is right and fair, and powered it forward.”