Democratic state lawmakers are renewing efforts to allow immigrants living in Michigan without legal permission to obtain driver’s licenses - this time with the support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other members of the administration.

Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, has sponsored similar legislation in the past, and said she plans to reintroduce legislation to allow all Michigan residents to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status this fall.

Chang said she envisions having a separate type of license for Michigan residents who cannot provide documentation showing they’re in the country legally, one that would not be valid for official federal purposes like voting or boarding an airplane. Applicants would still need to provide proof of Michigan residency.

Allowing Michigan residents to have licenses would make the roads safer and help people get to work and school in a state where a car is often necessary, particularly in rural areas, Chang said.

Not letting all residents get driver’s licenses “only hurts people, hurts our state and hurts our economy,” she said. “It’s really so much broader than an immigrant rights issue - it’s an economic issue, it’s a safety issue.”

The effort will likely be a tough sell in the Republican-controlled state legislature. Republicans in both the House and Senate have said state and local governments shouldn’t be able to hinder enforcement of federal immigration law.

Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, said he firmly opposes the idea, adding allowing people living in the U.S. illegally the option to obtain a driver’s license is a slippery slope towards granting amnesty or giving them voting rights.

“We have to respect the laws of our country, not encourage or reward people for being here illegally,” he said.

But supporters of the effort recently got verbal support from Whitmer. In recent comments to immigrant rights group Movimiento Cosecha Michigan, Whitmer said opening up access to driver’s licenses is “something that’s important to me, it’s important to our economy and it’s important to the people of Michigan.”

“We need to ensure that everyone’s got a path to getting a license so that they’ve got identification,” Whitmer said in a video clip posted on Cosecha Michigan’s social media page.

In a statement, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she stands with the governor in support of changing Michigan law “so that all individuals working and residing in our state may obtain a state ID or a driver’s license for use in Michigan.”

Michigan Governor Supports Licenses For All Español abajo - LAST NIGHT: Governor Gretchen Whitmer goes on record saying that she supports Driver's Licenses For All, a campaign that our immigrant-led Cosecha movement has been championing for the last two years! "We need to ensure that everyone’s got a path to getting a license so they’ve got identification. That’s something that’s important to me, it’s important to our economy, it’s important to the people of Michigan. Fortunately we’ve got a Secretary of State and an Attorney General who also, I know, feel the same way.” We will hold the Governor accountable for putting these words into action! #LicenseForAll #NoEmptyPromises ANOCHE: ¡La gobernadora Gretchen Whitmer dice que apoya las licencias de conducir para todos, una campaña que nuestro movimiento Cosecha dirigido por inmigrantes ha estado luchando durante los últimos dos años! "Necesitamos asegurarnos de que todos tengan un camino para obtener una licencia para que tengan identificación. Eso es algo que es importante para mí, es importante para nuestra economía, es importante para la gente de Michigan. Afortunadamente tenemos una Secretaria de Estado y una Abogada General que también, lo sé, sienten lo mismo ”. ¡Responsabilizaremos a la gobernadora de poner en práctica estas palabras! #LicensiasParaTodos #NoPromesasVacias Posted by Cosecha Michigan on Thursday, August 1, 2019

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 13 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws on the books that don’t require applicants for a driver’s license to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

Before 2008, Michigan was one of the states that issued driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status. But in late 2007 former Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican, issued an opinion saying driver’s licenses could not be issued to those without legal permission to live in the U.S., and a law was later passed to codify that opinion.

Movimiento Cosecha Michigan and other immigrants rights groups have fought to get that law reversed for years, holding demonstrations throughout the state and encouraging local and state officials to support the cause.

Nelly Fuentes, an organizer in Kalamazoo for Cosecha Michigan, said she’s seen firsthand the fear and uncertainty not having a driver’s license can cause for immigrants living in Michigan.

Her former husband was pulled over for driving without a license, and was ultimately deported, she said. She said a close friend of hers has a daughter getting medical treatment in Ann Arbor, and has to seek rides or weigh the risks of driving there to see her without a license.

Having access to driver’s licenses would provide peace of mind to many Michigan residents who are trying to go to work, run errands or take their kids to school or a soccer game, she said.

“This really affects our communities in very, very real ways,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes said she’s glad politicians are starting to pay attention to the needs of Michigan’s immigrant communities.

“It gives us a sense of hope - not necessarily in the politics, but in the way that undocumented folks can move and change the political narrative, and change our own destiny,” she said.