LEESBURG, Va. (ABC7) — A new law in Virginia is letting undocumented immigrants do something they could never do before.
Most of us don’t even think twice about getting in our cars and driving wherever we need to go.
“Whether it’s taking our children to school, going to work, going to worship, or the grocery store,” said Kathy Tran, a Virginia House of Delegates member represents the 42nd District.
She introduced legislation that made it legal for undocumented immigrants to drive with a driver privilege card. Tran said that has helped as many frontline workers are undocumented in Northern Virginia.
But when you can’t legally drive, because of your immigration status, even getting to work is a daily challenge. 7 On Your Side spoke with an undocumented immigrant who lives and works in Northern Virginia.
“I had fear that one day I would be stopped by the police and I didn’t have valid documents to show,” she said. But as an essential worker, she found a way to get to work.
“Sometimes I would have to walk if my job was close and sometimes I would drive with no license,” she said.
She has lived in the U.S. for 15 years, originally from Mexico. She also said she is a mother who works hard to provide for her family.
Now, she and 300,000 other undocumented immigrants can get driver privilege cards through the Virginia DMV.
It’s a legal driving ID, but the card doesn't have the full privileges of a driver's license or real ID.
“It’s a relief for thousands of people who will benefit from this,” she said.
Lawmakers said with undocumented immigrants having legal driving IDs, it can improve safety for everyone in the community.
“Traffic incidents have gone down and we’ve seen the number of folks who have car insurance go up. It’s a positive thing for all of our insurance rates and we have also seen an increase between the community and the police,” Tran said.
So far, more than 1,200 driver privilege cards have been issued.
The cards are available to noncitizens who are Virginia residents, have reported income in Virginia, or are claimed as a dependent on a tax return filed in the state.
To learn more about the Virginia driver privilege card and how to apply click here.