Immigrant Allies And Activists Will Rally For The Right To Drive

BOSTON — Immigrant allies and activists will be rallying in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston Monday to demonstrate support for the Work & Family Mobility Act, an act that would allow immigrants in Massachusetts to obtain legal driver's licenses.

Up to 200 supporters are expected to join the march at 3:30 p.m. to tell the Transportation Committee that immigrants deserve the right to drive.

For over 16 years, the immigrant community in Massachusetts has been demanding access to legal driver's licenses - an essential right allowed in 16 states across the country.

The Work & Family Mobility Act would allow Massachusetts immigrants regardless of documentation status to be able to obtain a driver's license.

Every time a bill came into play to allow it, a committee would shoot it down, never making it to a floor vote due to legislators fearing a veto from the governor.

Two years ago, after a hunger strike inside the State House by immigrant activists from Cosecha, the Work & Family Mobility Act was voted favorably for the first time - but activists with the Never Again Action said it never made it to the floor.

Activists from Movimiento Cosecha and supporters from Never Again Action say they will be marching to demonstrate how important it is that this bill moves forward.

"We aren't asking for crumbs, we are reclaiming our rights. Because we contribute to the economy of this country," says Gloria Ramirez, an elder Cosecha activist in Worcester. "We pay our taxes, and just like we have obligations we also have rights, and having a license is a right that we deserve."

"I graduated in May from Lasell University in Newton, and I used to commute over four hours to get from school to home each day," said Kathy Henriquez, a youth activist who has lived in East Boston for eight years. "But with access to a license, that commute could have been forty minutes. That's four hours I could have used to work part-time or be a part of my community, or just to be myself and enjoy my time in general."