A bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for state driver’s licenses passed the Minnesota House 69-60 Jan. 30. Long supported by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which represents the public policy concerns of the Church, the measure also is moving through the Senate.
At a news conference at the State Capitol Jan. 3, Archbishop Bernard Hebda urged lawmakers to act on the proposal, HF4, saying it was “long overdue in its passage.”
The proposal would help end the fear families face that a traffic violation might end in an undocumented person’s potential deportation, separating them from their loved ones, the archbishop said. The legislation would also require undocumented people to learn the rules of the road and take a driving test to receive a license.
The archbishop and Bishop Joseph Williams of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the other five bishops in Minnesota also wrote a letter of support that was distributed to the bill’s authors and House leadership.
HF4 would allow an individual to obtain a Minnesota driver’s license or state identification card with no need to show proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States.
A companion measure, SF27, was moving through the Senate committee process.
