Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales believes undocumented immigrants should have access to driver licenses, he said during remarks at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) national convention in Milwaukee Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Morales said licensing undocumented immigrants, which has been illegal in Wisconsin since 2007, would help police investigate accidents and reduce reckless driving.
“Maybe if we get in an accident we’re not going to flee from the police – because there’s no need to flee,” Morales said. “And for law enforcement, we need to identify who’s driving that vehicle when something happens. So it’s a win-win for all of us.”
In February, Governor Tony Evers said his budget proposal would include allowing undocumented immigrants to have driver licenses and state ID cards, which Madison Police Chief Mike Koval endorsed. Republican legislators rejected that proposal.
A report issued in November 2018 by Kids Forward said Wisconsin would be safer if undocumented immigrants were licensed to drive.
The LULAC national convention runs through Saturday. Many presidential candidates and other important national figures are expected to attend and speak. Madison365 reporters L. Malik Anderson and Stephanie Díaz de León are there and will be reporting throughout the event.
