Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants on the ballot in Massachusetts

A new Massachusetts law that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses faces a challenge in November when voters will have a chance to block it. 

Those who back the law argue it will improve safety and raise revenue, but opponents say it will serve as a back door for illegal voting and a lure that would bring more illegal immigration to the Bay State.

Opponents argue that it has done nothing to reduce fatal crashes in many of the 16 states that provide licenses to those living here illegally.

In June, a supermajority of Democrats in the Massachusetts legislature overrode Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of a law to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Licenses will be granted beginning in July unless voters next month choose “no” on a ballot question put forward by opponents asking whether they approve of the law.

If the law isn’t blocked by voters, Massachusetts will join 16 other states and the District of Columbia in granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

Polling on the issue has been scarce but a July survey of 569 registered voters conducted by Boston’s Suffolk University found voters approve of keeping the law in place by a 58% to 34% margin thanks to overwhelming support from Democrats. 

Amanda Orlando, a spokeswoman for GOP gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl, said voters increasingly disapprove of the law when they are told it could provide a pathway for illegal immigrants to vote. She said that’s what their internal polling showed.

“Once they understand what the law does, they reject it,” Ms. Orlando told The Washington Times.

Mr. Diehl is a staunch opponent of the law. Democrat Maura Healey, who is leading Mr. Diehl in the governor’s race, supports the law. 

The state is home to approximately 250,000 illegal immigrants who make up about 4% of the population, according to data from the American Immigration Council. 

The law includes a provision requiring the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to ensure the state’s automatic voter registration is not applied to illegal immigrants who seek licenses. But opponents say the overwhelmed RMV doesn’t have the motivation or staffing to sufficiently implement those safeguards or ensure the identities of those who apply for the licenses are legitimate.

Their suspicions were reinforced earlier this week, when Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced her office erroneously sent postcards to 30,000 illegal immigrants, encouraging them to register to vote. 

She blamed a glitch tied to a database that lists people with driver’s licenses, including those who are not citizens. 

Colorado began allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in 2014. 

Ms. Griswold, a Democrat, said despite the error, none of the noncitizens would be permitted to register to vote. Still, the mistake energized opponents in Massachusetts who say voter integrity will be compromised by allowing illegal immigrants to obtain licenses. 

Ms. Orlando said that number of illegal immigrants voting could even be enough to swing an election, pointing out that Mr. Baker won his first of two terms in office by just 40,000 votes.

“That tells you all you need to know and this isn’t meant to degrade any workers of any government agencies,” Ms. Orlando said. “It’s just the reality that we do not have staffing in these agencies to do the amount of detailed fact-checking that would be required to prevent that from happening.”

Most Democratic lawmakers support the law and cite data showing that hit-and-run crashes have been reduced in states where illegal immigrants can obtain driver’s licenses.

In a recent debate on the issue hosted by WBZ-TV, Democratic Sen. Lydia Edwards said the law would improve public safety by ensuring all drivers are tested and insured, although the law does not require insurance to obtain a driver’s license, only to register a vehicle.

Ms. Edwards said state law enforcement officials back the measure and she’s not interested in whether a person is living in the state illegally.

“I genuinely don’t care,” she said. “I need to know that someone who is driving knows how to drive, that they’ve been tested, that they have insurance. That’s the safest thing for me and my family and that at the end of the day is all I think most people care about — their families and making sure that they’re safe.”

Some states where illegal immigrants can obtain licenses report fewer hit-and-run accidents. In Connecticut, hit-and-run crashes among all drivers decreased by 9% between 2016 and 2018. Connecticut started issuing licenses to illegal immigrants in 2015 and officials say the program makes it less likely a driver will leave the scene of an accident. 

Overall, Connecticut has experienced an increase in fatal car accidents. The number jumped from 249 fatal crashes in 2019 to 295 in 2020, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The number rose again to 327 fatal accidents in 2021.

The Massachusetts law would require applicants to show two forms of identification, such as a valid passport, consular identification document, or a birth certificate from their home country to obtain a driver’s license.

Legal residents, however, must currently show proof of citizenship or lawful presence, a Social Security number, and documents to prove Massachusetts residency.

Paul Diego Craney, a spokesman for Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, which opposes the law, said the weak ID requirements for illegal immigrants will result in the state issuing some bogus licenses.

“A license is not going to be able to prove someone’s identity,” said Mr. Craney, whose family emigrated from Mexico. “So if you can’t prove someone’s identity and you get in an accident with them, what does that give you? Not much.”

Mr. Baker, who is leaving office in January, told state lawmakers in his veto message that the RMV is not equipped to adequately verify the identity of those applying for licenses if they live here illegally.

“Consequently, a standard Massachusetts driver’s license will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are,” Mr. Baker wrote. “This bill also fails to include any measures to distinguish standard Massachusetts driver’s licenses issued to persons who demonstrate lawful presence from those who do not.”