“It really affects my family every day. It affects the black and brown community a lot,” said 17-year-old Tabria Snead. “I’m here to say please stand with us.”

“When the state chooses to take away a poor person’s license they’re taking away a poor person’s ability to take care of their family,” said 16-year-old Jacquez Woodley.

A local issue

Several members of Racine Interfaith Coalition’s immigrant task force spoke in favor of extending licenses to undocumented immigrants on humanitarian grounds. They also cited benefits to the overall community, such as more drivers going through driver training and more drivers purchasing insurance.

Nikki Fisher of Wind Point gave a list of 10 reasons, including that it would allow parents to be more involved in their children’s education, it would reduce childhood absences and stress and it would help law enforcement identify victims, suspects and reduce paperwork since they would no longer have to process undocumented immigrants for driving.

“I’m sure our courts and I’m sure our law enforcement have much more important things to do,” said Fisher.