Bloomington City Hall.
(Ethan Burks, WFIU/WTIU News)
Members of Bloomington City Council are slated to vote on a resolution supporting state legislation to allow undocumented immigrants in Indiana to drive legally.
Mayor John Hamilton has asked the council to pass the resolution supporting Senate Bill 248 at its Wednesday meeting. The resolution is purely symbolic and would be non-binding if passed.
The action would support the Indiana General Assembly creating a pathway for undocumented immigrants to obtain driving privileges. S.B. 248 seeks to make it possible for undocumented immigrants in Indiana to apply for a driving privilege card. Those approved could legally drive.
Prerequisites to obtain a card include training, certification, and insurance.
The bill has received bipartisan support. It was sponsored by Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen) and co-authored by Democratic and Republican senators. But it failed to advance through a Senate committee before a February deadline for action.
According to the bill, a driver card could not be used as an ID for any other reason besides driving privileges — like voting or verification of employment or legal residence, for example. Additionally, any undocumented persons to obtain a driver card would have to verify and maintain financial responsibility for any vehicle they operate.
If the city council passes the resolution, it would join a growing number of elected bodies and other organizations across Indiana to express support for the bill.
Last August, Hamilton joined dozens of mayors across Indiana in signing a letter of support for the bill authored by Goshen Mayor Jeremy Strutsman and sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb and the state legislature.
Law enforcement and local government leaders have supported the bill, calling it a practical solution that will make roadways safer and help communities thrive.
However, some lawmakers, such as Sen. Jim Buck (R-Kokomo), and members of the public have objected to giving driving privileges to people who did not follow federal immigration laws.
Indiana passed a law in 2007 which tied driver’s licenses, permits and vehicle registration to citizenship and immigration status – aligning with 2005 federal legislation.
Hamilton’s administration said driver cards would allow undocumented immigrants to do essential activities, such as buying groceries, getting to and from school and work and accessing health care.
“We want community members functioning within the community, not outside of it,” Hamilton said in a written statement. “The passage of Senate Bill 248 would be good for communities, good for the economy, and good for the dignity of our friends and neighbors.”
La Voz Unida, a nonprofit organization based in Plymouth, has advocated for S.B. 248. It has invited the Latino community to attend Wednesday’s city council meeting and express support for the resolution that will be considered.
La Voz Unida could not immediately be reached for comment, but the mayor’s office provided the following statement on behalf of spokesperson Ed Rodriguez:
"La Voz Unida will continue to work for the common good; we work on both sides of the aisle trying to bring peace and harmony where dissension may exist. Our travels in Hoosier communities have proven that we are all good people; we just need to join hands.”
"La Voz Unida continuará trabajando por el bien común; trabajamos para todos tratando de traer paz y armonía donde puede haber desacuerdo. Nuestras visitas en las comunidades ‘Hoosier’ han demostrado que todos somos buenas personas, solo necesitamos unirnos.”
The Associated Press reports that more than a dozen states, including California, Illinois, New York, and Utah, already have approved similar driving cards in recent years.