Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Michael Frerichs Illinois Treasurer
    Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown Economy
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations Civil Rights
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Little Girl Rescued from Feared Danger and Reunited with Dad News
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families Business
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat Democrat
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens Government
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured Fire
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
  • two-story apartment building on the 15200 block of El Camino Terrace in Orland Park
    Orland Park apartment fire Saturday morning, no injuries Fire
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings calls for bipartisan action to protect Illinois families from SNAP benefit shutdown Baby Boomers
  • Illinios Industrial Energy Consumers, information ad
    Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Business
  • State Senator Mike Porfirio secured over $20 million to support infrastructure improvements and construction in the 11th Senate District.
    Senator Porfirio applauds more than $20 million in infrastructure repairs coming to the 11th District News
  • Dad and daughter reunited Lebving Law firm photo
    Little Girl Recovered and Reunited with Dad After Long Separation Dads' Rights
  • 11-03-25 OFPD Coffee living alone
    Orland Fire hosts meeting on helping Seniors who live alone Nov. 5 Baby Boomers
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings secures $250,000 grant for Easterseals Academy’s Tinley Park campus Health
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias

Undocumented immigrants will be given drivers licenses, Secretary Giannoulias says

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 By Ray Hanania 3 Comments on Undocumented immigrants will be given drivers licenses, Secretary Giannoulias says
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Undocumented immigrants will be given drivers licenses, Secretary Giannoulias says

Giannoulias: New Legislation Aims to End the Stigma for Immigrant Drivers; Make Illinois Roads Safer. Legislation will allow state to issue standardized licenses to legally licensed immigrant motorists

Legislation approved by Illinois lawmakers will expand identification options for undocumented immigrants and make Illinois roads safer, according to Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias who helped craft the measure currently awaiting the governor’s signature.
Giannoulias hosted a press conference alongside the sponsors of House Bill 3882, State Representative Barbara Hernandez (50th District – Aurora) and State Senator Ram Villivalam (8th District – Chicago), as well as advocates and stakeholders, to raise awareness and highlight the importance of this legislation.
House Bill 3882 – which passed the Illinois General Assembly last month – would allow non-citizen residents who are eligible to receive a standard driver’s license with the wording “Federal Limits Apply” printed atop of the cards per the federal REAL ID Act. These types of licenses would replace the current Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses (TVDLs), which undocumented immigrants have been able to obtain to drive legally in Illinois.
The only difference between a TVDL and a standard driver’s license is that the purple TVDL marker and the wording “Not Valid for Identification” – which currently exists on TVDLs – would no longer appear.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
TVDLs have caused issues because TVDLs cannot be used for identification under the current system and have signaled that TVDL drivers are likely undocumented. Standard licenses are valid for an ID card and a driver’s license.
“These driver licenses are standardized to serve as authentic identification and to help remove the stigma, prevent instances of discrimination and avoid problems they have been known to cause,” said Giannoulias, who thanked the legislative sponsors and advocates who pushed for the change. “TVDLs have made it difficult for the cardholders to do basic things like fill prescriptions or rent an apartment. This legislation will make our roads safer and protect immigrants.”
“Extending the rights of non-citizens to apply for standard driver’s licenses while eliminating meaningless bureaucratic red tape will help build a more equitable future for immigrant communities,” said state Rep. Hernandez. “Our goal is to tear down racial bias at a foundational level and improve the lives of all Illinoisans, and the steps this measure takes bring us nearer to achieving that.”
“Currently, many immigrant and refugee families are restricted access to certain services by Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses and endure a stigma for having only that as a form of identification,” said state Sen. Villivalam. “With House Bill 3882, we are modernizing the law to provide eligible individuals the ability to obtain a standard driver’s license without discrimination and to eliminate any stigmas. This legislation builds on our mission to continue to be the most welcoming state in the nation.”
Illinois was one of the first states to begin issuing TVDLs in 2013 to ensure all drivers on state roads have passed a road test regardless of citizenship. More than 300,000 Illinoisans currently have a TVDL, a program designed to make roads safer with stringent road testing and the requirement to have proof of automobile insurance.
Those eligible for a TVDL must have lived in Illinois for more than a year and do not have a Social Security number. Individuals must provide their U.S. immigration documentation, a passport or a consular card – requirements that remain the same under the new proposal.
Applicants for a standard driver’s license would be required to follow the same process as applying for a TVDL. Still, the license they receive would be the same as one issued to any other Illinoisan whose ID does not comply with federal REAL ID guidelines.
REAL ID requirements are scheduled to go into effect in Illinois in May 2025, and they require stricter identification, such as a birth certificate and Social Security number, to obtain one. The IDs are used for purposes such as air travel and access to military bases and secure federal facilities.
If signed into law, Illinois will join numerous states with similar processes, including California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Colorado.
The legislation also establishes standard, non-REAL ID-compliant ID cards for immigrants and restricts the sharing of driver information by prohibiting the use of data for immigration enforcement purposes. Immigration agents would be required to provide a court-issued warrant, order or subpoena to request the personally identifying information. Giannoulias’ office has implemented additional safeguards to ensure immigrant motorists are not eligible for a REAL ID and cannot be added to the voting rolls.

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown - October 30, 2025
  • Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations - October 30, 2025
  • Little Girl Rescued from Feared Danger and Reunited with Dad - October 30, 2025
NPV: 53
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Illinois Legislature, immigrant, News, news release, Transportation Tags:Alexi Giannoulias., Barbara Hernandez, drivers licenses, illegal aliens, Illinois, legislatur, Make Illinois Roads Safer, non citizens, secretary of state, stigma, undocumented immigrants

Post navigation

Previous Post: Naperville Mom is Bringing Joy to Orland Park Cancer Patients
Next Post: Orland Fire Protection District rescues man who fell into 20-30 foot deep well in Orland home

Related Posts

  • Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Speaker details actions taken to address sexual harassment Illinois Legislature
  • Philo, Illinois, USA. Watertower and post office. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    2018 Illinois Governor’s Export Award recipients announced Business
  • Judge Issues restraining order to prevent Trump from moving up 2020 Census deadline Federal
  • Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Madigan urges extension of bill to protect women Government
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings urges residents to apply for energy bill assistance program Frankfort
  • Arab American Memoir: “Stories My Father Told Me” Memories of a Childhood in Syria and Lebanon By Elia Zughaib, Illustrated by Helen Zughaib
    Memoir: “Stories My Father Told Me” Available Now Books & Films

More Related Articles

SD 103 trio opts out News
School District 103 school supplies give-a-way held Jan. 5, 2019 at the Lyons public Community Center. District 103 School Candidates launch Facebook Page Education
Illinois 9th District Congressional map Illinois 9th Congressional District News, Amiwala, Cohen and Andrew elections
Telephone  Sheriff Dart Warns Public of Phone Scam  Baby Boomers
money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job Business
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Attorney General Nessel Reissues Consumer Alert on Data Breaches Following TransUnion Cyber Incident L Business

Comments (3) on “Undocumented immigrants will be given drivers licenses, Secretary Giannoulias says”

  1. Pingback: Illinois Issues Standard Driver’s Licenses to Noncitizens, Regardless of Immigration Status | Brightgram
  2. Pingback: Undocumented immigrants will be given drivers licenses, Secretary Giannoulias says | DailyWise.com
  3. Pingback: "The Driver's Side" – News From The Motorist's Perspective | theexpiredmeter.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Michael Frerichs Illinois Treasurer
    Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown
    October 30, 2025
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations
    October 30, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Little Girl Rescued from Feared Danger and Reunited with Dad
    October 30, 2025
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families
    October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat
    October 29, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme