ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – Emotions ran high inside the St. Paul Armory as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the state’s “Driver’s Licenses for All” bill into law, allowing Minnesota residents to obtain a driver’s license no matter their immigration status.
Until 2003, those applying for a driver’s license did not need to show proof of legal residence in the United States. That changed in 2003 under former Gov. Tim Pawlenty as a security measure following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
For two decades, advocates tried to reverse that policy and saw their efforts pay off Tuesday morning.
“For almost 20 years, Minnesota has put in place a piece of legislation that came in the fallout of the September 11 attacks,” Walz said. “It was a piece of legislation that did nothing to improve public safety, but caused great personal harm, great community harm, and great economic harm to our state.”
It’s estimated that the law will allow the estimated 81,000 undocumented immigrants living in Minnesota to take the state’s knowledge test and receive a license.
Opponents voiced concerns about the bill’s lack of safeguards to prevent people without legal status from voting or enrolling in state programs.
“All these mythical scenarios of people using a driver’s license, which is not used in Minnesota to vote, there’s not a single case in twenty years of that happening,” Walz said.
Supporters emphasized the immediate impact driver’s licenses will have for those who have waited far too long for the opportunity to get one.
“It’s been a long way coming,” Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega said. “I was in high school when those rights were taken away from our village, our community, our best friends, and our families. It’s been a dedication of organizing this movement all across the state.”
18 other states including Washington D.C. have implemented driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
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