Michigan Republicans force Democratic 'frontliners' to vote on driver's licenses for noncitizens

Michigan House Republicans on Thursday killed the years long effort from immigration activists to allow undocumented residents the right to obtain state identification.

The Michigan House of Representatives. Photo: Samuel Robinson

Michigan House Republicans are forcing Democrats to put their positions on controversial issues, like driver’s licenses for noncitizens, on the record.

Republican leadership this week forced the most vulnerable Democratic members who represent split or Trump voting districts, referred to as “frontliners,” to vote on legislation to allow undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses.

Six Michigan Democrats joined all 58 House Republicans Thursday voting against the legislation.

The proposal was put up for a vote by Republican leadership, who controls the state House, despite their unanimous opposition. Some of the Democrats who voted with Republicans against the legislation represent districts which contain a significant number of Republican voters. A number of Democrats were absent from session Thursday.

House Speaker Matt Hall told reporters in Lansing Thursday he put the legislation on the board to “let Democrats make their argument for why they introduced this bill to give illegal aliens driver's licenses, something that is very unpopular in Michigan,” Beth LeBlanc reported.

The effort to allow the estimated 100,000 undocumented Michigan residents to obtain driver’s licenses or other forms of state identification is years in the making. House Bill 4195 and three other bills in a package introduced by Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, would have done just that.

Prior versions of the legislation has been labeled by advocates as “Drive Safe.”

Maria Ibarra-Frayre, co-executive director of We the People Michigan, the advocacy group leading the effort to enact Drive Safe, said she believes Democratic leadership could have convinced members to pass the legislation had it been a priority when they had control of the House last year.

She told me in a phone interview Friday some Democrats lacked the political courage to do so.