Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, previously suggested allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. He argued that denying them licenses amounts to discrimination. In a 2018 campaign interview, El-Sayed said, “We’ve got to make sure that in this state we are not discriminating against documentation status. Right now, if you’re undocumented, you don’t get access to a driver’s license. You’re stuck.” At that time, El-Sayed was running for the governor’s position.
Years later, as he runs for the U.S. Senate, this past statement has resurfaced. It highlights El-Sayed’s earlier views on local government interactions with undocumented immigrants. The proposal raises questions about whether providing state identification legitimizes their presence in the U.S.
Hans von Spakovsky, an elections expert at Advancing American Freedom, discussed the potential implications. He noted that a driver’s license acts as a proxy for a national ID card, which America lacks. “Issuing driver’s licenses to aliens will help them in all the instances where a license is needed, from opening bank accounts to all types of other transactions,” Spakovsky explained. He also mentioned that employment eligibility paperwork, such as I-9 forms, often requires little besides a license.
Spakovsky argued that ensuring undocumented immigrants cannot rent apartments or open bank accounts would be key to promoting self-deportation. “Providing them driver’s licenses is a huge step in allowing them to easily live and work in the United States,” he added.
In the 2018 campaign footage, El-Sayed appeared to worry that undocumented immigrants were excluded from basic state-provided benefits. “You don’t get access to a lot of the basic things that the state offers everybody else,” he stated, calling the situation “ridiculous” and advocating against such discrimination.
El-Sayed, who avoids labels like “progressive” or “far-left,” often supports a government-centered approach to issues like affordability and public services. He supports Medicare for all, tuition-free higher education, and opposes corporate tax benefits. In an interview with Fox News Digital, El-Sayed mentioned that Democrats are likely to continue promoting more government involvement. “Government ought to be available to set an equal playing field for everybody and to offer those basic things that everybody needs and deserves,” he stated.
While El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond immediately to questions about extending services to non-residents, or if providing licenses indicates approval of undocumented immigrants’ presence, he remains focused on his Senate race against Rep. Haley Stevens. The primary winner will advance to the November general election.