Mich. to grant driver's licenses to immigrants

• Michigan%27s secretary of state reverses policy
• Action follows federal ruling that DACA immigrants have legal status to stay in U.S.
• Advocates say the move will allow young immigrants to drive to work and school

DETROIT -- In a reversal, Michigan's secretary of state says her office will now grant driver's licenses to young immigrants who qualify to stay in the United States under a new federal program.

For several months, Secretary Of State Ruth Johnson has said her office will not give licenses to immigrants who qualify under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program the Obama administration created in June. That made Michigan one of only a handful of states to deny licenses to DACA recipients, drawing strong criticism from immigrant groups and others who said it would hurt the development and growth of Michigan.

As late as Monday, Johnson continued to say she would not grant licenses to DACA immigrants.

But Friday, Johnson announced she's reversing her position, effective Feb. 19. Johnson said she changed her mind after an agency with the Department of Homeland Security updated its guidelines on Jan. 18 to say that DACA immigrants have legal status to work and study in the United States.

Johnson's move may affect up to 23,000 young immigrants in Michigan. About 1.7 million immigrants nationwide could potentially qualify to stay in the United States under the DACA program.

Iowa also recently announced the DACA immigrants will be eligible to apply for a state driver's license.

DACA immigrants generally are those who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. Because they're in the U.S. through no fault of their own, activists have been pushing for them to be allowed to stay in the country because most of their lives have been spent here.

But Johnson said in October that DACA immigrants could not get licenses in Michigan, a move that advocates said would have made life difficult for those trying to work or go to school. Johnson said she was merely following federal guidelines, which she said weren't clear about the legal status of DACA recipients.

Friday's reversal was praised by activists. They have been arguing that Johnson's earlier position was shortsighted in a place like Michigan, which was the only state in the country to have lost population over the past decade and needs to attract more residents.

"It's long overdue," said Ryan Bates, director of the Michigan chapter of Alliance for Immigrant Rights. "I'm very pleased the secretary of state has seen the light."

Jose Franco, 25, co-founder of the Detroit-based immigrant rights group One Michigan, has applied to be a DACA immigrant.

Franco said "I'm excited" by Johnson's reversal. "All the hard work paid off."

Said Miriam Aukerman, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan: "Today's announcement is a tremendous victory for the thousands of young people who … have only known this country to be home. They have the same dreams as other young Americans."