To the editor:
In this season of “Peace and Joy”, my hopes, and the hopes of all who have worked diligently since 2019 to restore drivers licenses for our immigrant community were dashed at the end of the Lame Duck Session. Our Michigan legislative leaders utterly failed us. After two years of empty promises, the clock ran out without any leadership from Speaker Tate, Senator Brinks, or Governor Whitmer. Neither Tate nor Brinks allowed the bills to move past committee, effectively killing the Drive SAFE bills.
Almost 250 organizations and groups, along with a wide base of immigrant leaders, supported these bills. They would have benefited Michigan’s economy, particularly the agricultural sector. Law enforcement leaders supported the Drive SAFE bills, recognizing the value of fostering trust and freeing up officers to address more pressing public safety issues.
Our Leelanau County immigrant workers are highly skilled and responsible; they contribute to the fabric of our community; they pay their taxes. Now, under the incoming administration, they will live and commute ever more fearful for their families and their future. As these workers disappear, our already strained farms will face new challenges.
No peace and joy for our immigrants, along with the farms and other businesses that rely on them. Our legislators delivered a bag of rocks, and the consequences will be heavy indeed!
Alison S. Heins Elmwood Township
