Massachusetts has became the most recent state to allow illegal migrants to apply for a driver's license, a move that has the potential to ease some of the burden on government resources already struggling from the surge in immigration.
The new law allows eligible Massachusetts residents to apply to obtain a standard driver's license, regardless of immigration status, removing a previous state requirement that residents provide proof of immigration status, according to local radio station WGBH-FM. Democrat Gov. Maura Healey calls the law a "Benefit for public safety, for our economy, and for our immigrant residents who should be able to drive to work, school, or the grocery store without fear." The surge of migrants in Massachusetts - which has several so-called "Sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants - is similar to that seen in other parts of the county, as part of a global migration pattern.
According to a recent Boston Globe report, emergency shelters in the commonwealth have become so overwhelmed by the influx that Massachusetts, like other states, has had to rent hotel rooms.
The Legislature in March approved a supplemental budget that included $85 million for the state's emergency shelter system, with some of the additional funding also going toward reimbursing school districts for costs associated with enrolling new students from families in the shelter system.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have now enacted laws to allow unauthorized immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Supporters of the new law point to various problems caused by having migrants driving without a license, considering they are required to obtain auto insurance.
"The goal is to get more people insured and licensed on our roads," said state Democrat Rep. Christine Barber.
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