MICHELLE JANAYE NEALY
Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – The Maryland Senate has passed a measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
The measure was approved in a 29-18 vote.
The bill now moves to the House of Delegates for consideration.
Maryland law currently allows drivers who are in the country illegally to obtain a second-tier driver’s license.
If passed, the bill would eliminate indefinitely the state’s 2015 deadline for undocumented immigrants to get rid of their Maryland driver’s licenses.
Supporters of the measure say the licenses will make the state’s roads safer.
Opponents of the legislation say that the bill could turn Maryland into a haven for illegal immigrants.
If passed, Maryland would become one of a handful of states in recent years to allow illegal immigrants to legally obtain driver’s licenses.
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