Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House advanced a measure last week that would allow noncitizen residents who are currently eligible for a “temporary visitor driver’s license” to instead obtain a “standard” driver’s license that can be used as identification.
Lawmakers created the temporary visitor driver’s license, or TVDL, in 2013 to ensure all drivers on state roads have passed a road test regardless of legal residency. It is available to individuals who have lived in the state for over one year, do not have a social security number, and may or may not have government documentation authorizing their presence in the United States.
To receive one, the individual must provide their U.S. immigration documentation or, if they don’t have that, a passport or consular card. They must also prove they have automobile insurance.
According to the secretary of state’s office, more than 300,000 people currently have a TVDL. Under the bill, these would remain valid driver’s licenses but the secretary of state would no longer issue new ones.
While the TVDL is valid as a driver’s license, it was never valid as identification. The card contains a purple line with the letters “TVDL,” and the phrase “Not Valid for Identification.”
That’s something immigrant rights activists said makes it difficult for the cardholder to do anything from pick up a prescription to buy alcohol. Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, D-Chicago, said in floor debate that some businesses decline to accept the TVDL as identification even when paired with identification from the individual’s native country.
Applicants for a standard driver’s license would be required to follow the same process as applying for a TVDL, but the license they receive would be the same as one issued to any other Illinoisan whose ID does not comply with federal REAL ID guidelines.
REAL ID requirements are scheduled to go into effect in Illinois in May 2025, and they require stricter identification such as a birth certificate and social security number to obtain one. The IDs are used for purposes such as air travel and visiting military bases and secure federal facilities.
Standard licenses contain the words “Federal Limits Apply,” but they are otherwise valid as both a driver’s license and ID card.
The measure, House Bill 3882, has support from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
“This legislation will make our roads safer and protects immigrants who are legally able to drive,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “As with all drivers, immigrants who drive in Illinois must prove they are safe, capable motorists in order to earn the standard driver’s license.”
The legislation’s backers say it was motivated by the fact that those carrying a TVDL sometimes face discrimination because of the purple bar on the card. Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is the lead sponsor of HB 3882.
“My parents were undocumented for 21 years,” she said. “…My parents would have wished years ago that they could have a driver license. Today we’re updating those driver licenses to turn them more standardized, to stop discrimination.”
Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, characterized the bill as an attempt to “hide” a person’s status.
“I think the reality is we’re trying to turn undocumented individuals into documented individuals,” he said. “We have individuals who have come here outside of the legal process, and I know the legal process is broken. So why don’t we work on encouraging the federal government to actually do something to fix a broken system, instead of hiding the fact that it’s broken.”
Rep Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, noted that the TVDL is not only granted to individuals without legal residency status but also “those who are here legally from a foreign country temporarily.”
“The premise behind the temporary driver’s license was to allow individuals who are undocumented to be able to drive the road safely so that they can take their kids to school, so they can go to the grocery store, so they can go to work,” she said. “Unfortunately, over time, the purple ID has been viewed and recognized as a driver’s license for the undocumented which is simply untrue.”
Republican Rep. Dan Caulkins, of Decatur, questioned whether making TVDL holders eligible for a standard license would create a system that’s ripe for voter fraud, since Illinoisans can register on the day of an election with a license and other identification.
Henry Haupt, a spokesperson for Giannoulias, said safeguards would remain in place to prevent ineligible individuals from being registered to vote. Under the current registration process, he said, a registrar “should never rely on a driver’s license as proof of citizenship.”
He noted anyone registering to vote must attest to their citizenship.
“While election officials ask to see identification when an applicant registers to vote, it is for the purpose of identifying the applicant, not proof of citizenship,” he said in an email. “The voter application form completed by the applicant requires the applicant to swear or affirm U.S citizenship.”
Haupt said the automatic voter registration process would not change under the bill.
“Applicants will still present the same documents as they did under the TVDL program, such as a foreign passport or consular identification card,” he said. “Those documents will alert secretary of state facility employees that the applicant is not a U.S. citizen and therefore voter registration will not be offered.”
Noncitizens will also be coded in the secretary of state’s system differently than citizens, Haupt said, and the program won’t allow for voter registration in that instance.
The bill also exempts a license application from entering the automatic voter registration process if there is no social security number associated with it.
The bill would also prohibit the use of driver’s license data for immigration enforcement purposes unless immigration agents provide a court-issued warrant, order or subpoena for the information.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide, as well as hundreds of radio and TV stations. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Man charged with child abduction in Stickney Township
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A Chicago man was charged last week with child abduction and luring of a minor after Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives found he attempted to lure a minor into his vehicle, said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. According to police, about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 22, officers responded…
Worth Library celebrates 60th anniversary
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Worth Public Library has been around for decades. Resting in the heart of the village at 6917 W. 111th St., the library held an event focusing on its rich background story on April 23 with a historical photo exhibit. “It’s amazing because this library is still so important to…
Rose Zubik, Woman’s Club veteran, installed as 3rd District president
Spread the love Rose Zubik, of Palos Heights, the new president of the 3rd District General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Illinois, lights a candle during the installation ceremony held April 27 at Fox’s Restaurant in Orland Park. Heather Linehan, the outgoing president, is beside her.By Dermot Connolly A longtime member of the Palos Heights Woman’s Club…
Shots fired in Chicago Ridge Commons parking lot
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Shots were fired Wednesday night in the parking lot at Chicago Ridge Commons mall. Police said they received reports of the shooting about 9:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Multiple witnesses told police four men were walking through the parking lot from the XSport Fitness area. They approached two vehicles…
Hair salon with a ‘flair’ marks first year in Chicago Ridge
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Melissa Kowalski wanted to do something meaningful to mark the first-year anniversary of her Flair With Hair Salon in Chicago Ridge. “We did not have a grand opening last year so I wanted to do something really special,” Kowalski said. “We wanted to say thank you to our clients.” Kowalski,…
Palos East fifth-grader wins Scholastic Storyworks writing contest
Spread the loveGabriel Chowaniec, a fifth-grader at Palos East Elementary School, has been named a winner of the Scholastic Storyworks Magazine writing contest. Gabriel, who is a student in Cathy Casey’s fifth-grade classroom, was named one of only five winners nationally for the December 2023/January 2024 competition. Garbriel’s submission for the nonfiction story “The Shattered Land,” “showed a strong understanding of the text along with the ability to author a well-organized…
Shepard celebrates Autism Week
Spread the loveBy Kelly White World Autism Acceptance Week is organized by the National Autistic Society in the first week of April and aims to raise awareness about the challenges autistic people face across all areas of society. Not missing out the opportunity to celebrate all-inclusion was Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos…
Billions of cicadas get ready to raise a racket
Spread the loveBy Kelly White If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, you will soon. With 2024 marking a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, billions of the red-eyed buggers will soon be making an appearance. Periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time.…
‘A man of honor, a beacon of kindness’
Spread the love. Chicago weeps for Officer Luis Huesca . By Tim Hadac People across the Southwest Side shed tears earlier this week, as throngs of police officers and other filled the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel at 77th and Western for a funeral Mass for CPD Officer Luis M. Huesca. Officer Huesca was…
Neighbors
Cruz booted from SD 229 school board in Oak Lawn
Spread the loveBy Dermot Connolly There is a vacancy on the Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 School Board, after members voted 6-1 last week to remove Robert Cruz for allegedly violating his oath of office, school board policy and state statutes. Cruz, a property developer, was elected to the District 229 board in…
Tax exemptions will be automatic, Kaegi says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions. The Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year. If a homeowner received any of these five exemptions…
Oak Lawn officials rip governor, legislators over crime
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Two Oak Lawn officials are calling for Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local legislators to re-evaluate a police reform law that they say has resulted in a rise in crime. Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) served as mayor pro-tem during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday night in place of Mayor Terry Vorderer,…
Troop 1441 Scout earns Eagle rank
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A journey that began years ago for Adrian Ayala recently culminated in Boy Scouting’s highest honor. Ayala, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1441 (sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society) was honored at an Eagle ceremony at Duggan Hall on Jan. 13. The Eagle rank…
Hog Wild to open Monday in Oak Lawn
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Dining choices will get a boost in Oak Lawn with the arrival of Hog Wild. The restaurant is scheduled to open Monday, January 17, at 4040 W. 111th St. That’s a week later than originally scheduled. “We are very fortunate here in Oak Lawn to have attracted Hog Wild,” Oak…
Home security cameras could be big help to Orland cops
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Residents of Orland Park could have a hand in solving crime in the village. The board of trustees unanimously approved to move forward with a voluntary security camera registration program at its Jan. 4 meeting. It’s expected to start on Feb. 1. This program gives citizens and businesses a chance…
Ailing eagle on the mend
Spread the loveSeveral blocks northwest of Garfield Ridge—just west of 47th and Harlem–motorists late last month noticed an eagle flying low and acting erratically. The Villa Park-based Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was contacted, and its volunteers found and captured the majestic bird. It was transported to a facility owned and operated by Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook…
Can’t we just fast-forward to spring?
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. Is it spring yet? Is the pandemic over yet? Not that I’m impatient or anything. I want to move forward past all the negative COVID-19 has brought to my life and everyone else’s life. I want to see…