National GOP Group Backs Illinois Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented

PRESS RELEASE

Illinois is home for over 200,000 undocumented immigrants, and many of them drive without an IL driver’s license because they are barred from obtaining one.

As noted by conservative Republicans Sen. Bill Brady and Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran in their State-Journal Register editorial, offering a legal means for these immigrants to obtain a temporary visitors IL driver’s license will improve highway safety.

Cafe con Leche Republicans, a national pro-immigration GOP group, is proud to support Illinois Senate Bill 957. SB957 would authorize temporary visitor’s IL driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants who establish their identity with a valid foreign passport or consular document, and pass the same IL driver’s license tests required of all drivers. SB957 also requires they purchase insurance, and their temporary visitor’s IL driver’s license is invalid if they are unable to provide proof of insurance upon request of police. The temporary visitor’s IL driver’s license would include a statement prohibiting use for identity, addressing concerns about their use for work, voting, etc.

Cafe con Leche GOP is proud to join Sen. Brady, Sheriff Curran, and dozens of other Republican officials from across the Land of Lincoln in support of SB957. We are thankful for the support of House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Plainfield) and we encourage other members of the IL House GOP caucus to support the bill.

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About Us – Cafe Con Leche Republicans is a national organization of Republicans who welcome “New Americans”, defined as immigrants and family of recent immigrants. Our mission is to make America and the GOP, more welcoming to “New Immigrants” through political activism, “in-reach” and education within the Republican Party, and lobbying government to adopt more immigrant friendly policies. We also seek to bring more conservative and moderate “New Americans” to the Republican Party. These efforts will strengthen the GOP, and lead more Republicans to embrace welcoming policies for immigrants and their families. We have members nationwide, with chapters in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and California. Our members and leadership are predominantly Hispanic, though we define ourselves by mission and guiding principles, not ethnicity, and we welcome all who share our goals. Our leadership is 100% Republican.