Rhode Island lawmakers push for immigrant driver’s licenses

February 24, 2016 4:55 pm

By The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ Lawmakers in Rhode Island are making another attempt to grant driving privileges to immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Dozens of immigrants and advocates on Wednesday joined state Sen. Frank Ciccone and state Rep. Anastasia Williams, both Providence Democrats, to rally for the legislation the lawmakers recently re-introduced in the General Assembly.

The bills would allow the state Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driver’s licenses to people who don’t have a lawful presence in the United States. Similar efforts stalled last year.

Ciccone says he has revised the bill to model a Connecticut law that took effect last year. "To ensure that the roads are safe, everyone would have a license, everyone now has to have insurance," said Ciccone.

Opponents argue the licenses would draw more illegal immigration to the state. "We can make the roads very safe by getting them off the roads and out of the country. They don’t belong here!" William Perry of Cumberland told ABC6 News.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has voiced support for allowing everyone to get driver’s licenses. "I’ve been very clear that I do support providing drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants. The good news is that because so many other states and cities have already done this, successfully, there are models that we can look at and so we ought to look at that as we craft our legislation," the Governor said Wednesday morning.