Press Release

BUCHANAN COSPONSORS BILL TO DENY DRIVERS LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Washington, DC -- Congressman Vern Buchanan cosponsored legislation this week to close a loophole in federal law that allows states to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.  The “Prevention of Unsafe Licensing Act” (H.R. 4176) would prohibit states from issuing driver’s licenses to individuals who are not lawful residents of the United States.

“Issuing driver's licenses without regard to immigration status is bad public policy,” Buchanan said.  “Driver’s licenses aren’t just licenses to drive – they are de facto national ID cards which could be used to open bank accounts, rent cars and apartments, purchase firearms, and commit voter fraud.  Make no mistake – illegal immigrants should not be allowed to get state-issued driver’s licenses.”

Official licenses are already issued to illegal immigrants in Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon and Washington.   Just recently, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer abandoned his controversial proposal to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Buchanan had previously cosponsored H. Res. 800 to express the sense of the House that states should not issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.  The freshman lawmaker is a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus. 

“The American people have made it perfectly clear they want us to secure our borders, crack down on illegal immigration and provide homeland security.  I don’t think providing a driver's license to illegal immigrants is the type of immigration policy they had in mind,” Buchanan concluded.