NEW BEDFORD — Local advocates Wednesday basked in victory after Massachusetts voters approved a law that will allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses.
“I was getting very nervous because it took so long for the results to finally come out,” said Helena DaSilva Hughes, director of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center. “I think it’s a huge win for our immigrant community.”
Question 4 asked Massachusetts voters to allow those who cannot provide proof of citizenship and legal residency the opportunity to submit alternative identification for a driver’s license.
Statewide, close to 54% approved the measure against the near 47% who rejected it.
The bill — entitled the Work and Family Mobility Act — became law over the summer after overcoming a veto by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Starting in July, Massachusetts residents unable to show a form of U.S. identification will be allowed to use some documentation issued by foreign governments, such as a passport, to establish identity.
Opponents of the bill, including the governor, frequently charged it would enable undocumented people to register to vote despite the bill explicitly banning the automatic registration of those obtaining licenses with foreign identification.
Shortly after the bill’s passage, Fair and Secure Massachusetts began a petition drive to put the bill to voters, quickly obtaining the necessary number of signatures to call a referendum.
’17 years of struggle’ to obtain drivers licenses
The victory was the culmination of almost 17 years of work to get the measure approved.
“We got here after 17 years of struggle,” Adrian Ventura, director of the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, said in Spanish. “We are excited that we will finally be able to drive safely.”
Ventura added that driving was “not a luxury, but a right’ enabling people to perform necessary life tasks such as bringing children to school, getting to work, attending to medical needs, and more.
Previously, many undocumented people were forced to drive without a license, leaving them susceptible to arrests and possible deportation.
Police Chief Paul Oliveira told The Standard-Times in April that arrests for driving without a license were “very, very rare” by officers in the New Bedford Police Department, who, he said, would have an easier time on the job if undocumented people were permitted licenses.
He added that he supported giving undocumented immigrants access to licenses given their substantial contribution to New Bedford’s society and economy.
“They’re a huge component to our society here in New Bedford and they’re a huge asset,” Oliveira said in that April interview. “They should be able to drive to their work legally like the rest of us.”
David Rolando Oliva, a member of the Cosecha Massachusetts New Bedford circle, expressed jubilation at the victory.
“We already know that this represents a victory for us,” he said. “But it is also a victory for the public in general.”
Advocates for the bill said the measure will also contribute to lower auto insurance rates and make the work safer for law enforcement.
Bristol County did not vote in favor of the drivers license question
Though the question won by a decent margin statewide, those votes were concentrated in the Boston area with pockets in other urban areas throughout the Commonwealth.
In New Bedford, the ballot measure was rejected by 51% of voters.
Indeed, all municipalities in Bristol County rejected the measure, with most polling between 57% and 66% against the law.
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Hughes said that the result did not surprise her, even in a city she believes has many more than the estimated 10,000 undocumented residents currently believed to be present.
“There are a lot of members of the immigrant community who have become U.S. citizens and they are the first to turn around and say to people: Well, I did it the ‘right way,'” she said. “That, to me, doesn’t make sense. Unfortunately, there is no ‘right way’ of coming in now.”
Ventura said he believes racism played a role in the decision.
“There is a flame of racism,” he said. “Many people here don’t accept [Central Americans].
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“Why did people vote against Question 4? Because they want to keep us down and exploited with no way forward.”
Oliva said that the local vote did not surprise him, but he chose to focus on what it means moving forward.
“It means that we have a lot more work to do,” he said. “Work that our small group may not have the capacity to do alone.
“It’s clear that we didn’t give voters the information they needed,” he continued. “It was beaten [in New Bedford] by a small margin but it’s clear we have much more work to do.”
