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FLORIDA - Florida is enacting laws to ban out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, intensifying the national debate over immigration and state enforcement.
As immigration continues to dominate political discourse, several Republican-led states are introducing laws targeting driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants by other states.
These measures, pushed as part of broader immigration crackdowns, aim to invalidate certain out-of-state licenses within their borders.
Florida led the charge in 2023 when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law making it a misdemeanor to drive with a license issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants.
The law specifically targets marked licenses from Connecticut and Delaware, which indicate the holder did not present proof of legal U.S. presence.
Other states like Tennessee and Wyoming have since followed suit, with additional legislation pending in Alabama, Montana, New Hampshire, and several others.
In Connecticut alone, nearly 60,000 “drive-only” licenses have been issued.
Governor Ned Lamont proposed ending the license distinction for undocumented immigrants to avoid state-level bans, but the bill never reached a vote.
Supporters of these laws argue they serve as deterrents.
Alabama State Senator Chris Elliott, for example, stated that those in the U.S. illegally should “turn around and go somewhere else.”
Critics, however, view the legislation as hostile. Senator Linda Coleman-Madison pushed to include highway signage warning travelers about the laws, calling some measures “mean-spirited.”
The REAL ID Act, a federal standard taking effect May 7th, requires proof of legal presence for compliant licenses—but states can still issue non-compliant versions.
Immigration attorneys and advocates warn that these state-level bans add confusion, fear, and legal uncertainty for immigrants driving across state lines.