Undocumented immigrants in Pennsylvania should have driver’s licenses

Growing up, there was nothing more frightening than going on car rides with my parents. What is routine for most people filled my young mind with uncontrollable fear. I vividly remember being 6 years old and my father being pulled over on our way back home from a family gathering. I immediately began to bawl and shake uncontrollably.

It wasn’t that I feared the police officer himself. I feared what he could do.

My parents were undocumented at the time, so they didn’t have a license or any form of documentation that permitted them to drive legally. So them being pulled over — and possibly deported — was a fear that followed me my entire childhood.

Pennsylvania law states that people can face fines for driving without a driver’s license. The consequences vary depending on the circumstances, but some drivers can face high fees and jail time.

On March 30, 2023, Pennsylvania House Democrats introduced House Bill 769, which would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license in the state. It was then referred to the House Transportation Committee.

A few weeks ago, I called the Harrisburg office of State Rep. Ed Neilson, chairman of the Transportation Committee, to confirm the status of the bill. I spoke with his legislative assistant, Evan Sobolewski, who restated the same information that’s available online.

“It’s currently referred to the Transportation Committee, where it remains considered,” Sobolewski told me. “I don’t have any updates at this moment in time.”

Our neighbors in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland all allow undocumented immigrants to drive without fear that a simple traffic stop could place them at risk of deportation for being in this country without proper authorization. Pennsylvania must do the same.

Allowing undocumented immigrants to become licensed drivers would make our roads safer. Undocumented drivers would have to go through the same testing as any other Pennsylvania resident to obtain a driver’s license. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants would be able to drive insured. Currently, under Pennsylvania law, undocumented immigrants cannot register or insure a vehicle. Additionally, it would also allow them to be secure when reporting a motor vehicle accident and cooperating with authorities.

What’s more, if undocumented drivers could get licenses, arrests for unlicensed driving in the state would plunge. In 2019, New York passed Senate Bill 1747-A, which allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Records obtained by GBH News show that a year prior to the passing of this bill, police in that state recorded about 57,000 unlicensed drivers. In 2021, those numbers plummeted to about 30,000.

Undocumented immigrants in our state contribute so much to our economy, yet Pennsylvania can’t even offer them some of the basic rights other residents have access to, even though undocumented immigrants in Pennsylvania have paid billions of dollars in taxes over the years. In 2018 alone, undocumented immigrants in Pennsylvania paid an estimated $418.1 million in federal taxes, and $238.3 million in state and local taxes.

Those who oppose House Bill 769 might argue that undocumented people shouldn’t even be in this country to begin with, therefore they shouldn’t have the privilege of obtaining a driver’s license in the state. Yet, that argument overlooks that this isn’t an immigration issue; it’s a safety issue. It’s better to have a licensed and insured driver on the road than one who isn’t. The most reasonable way to avoid risk is by allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.

Undocumented immigrants can’t just give up driving. They still need to be able to get to work, school pickups, church, doctors’ appointments, and the grocery store. Allowing them to do this safely not only gives them a sense of security — something undocumented immigrants rarely feel — but it also gives our community a sense of safety. Our state politicians should do what’s best for the safety of the public.

Gloria Chuma is a freshman journalism student at Temple University.