Marie-Therese received her Maryland driver's license this spring, something her 15-year-old daughter might never do. The family illegally emigrated from West Africa to Baltimore four years ago, and a law that goes into effect Monday means new drivers who cannot prove their lawful status in the United States won't be able to get a license.
"She is upset," Marie-Therese said of her daughter, who is a Baltimore high school student.
"She told me, 'I want to drive, too.' "
The mother, who didn't want the family's last name to be used for fear of being deported, took her daughter to Annapolis this year to try to persuade lawmakers to keep Maryland's status as one of just four states that grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
But with a looming October deadline to comply with a federal security act known as Real ID, lawmakers instead struck a last-minute compromise, ending the ability of new drivers to obtain a license without proof of legal presence in the U.S. but allowing those who already have one to renew.
Those licenses will be marked "not acceptable for federal purposes," meaning they may not be used to board airplanes or enter federal buildings. Those will expire July 1, 2015, at the latest.
The change puts Maryland in rare company.
According to the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrations, only Utah has a comparable two-tiered program.
That state allows illegal immigrants with a tax identification number to apply for a "driving privilege card," which also is not accepted federally.
Lawmakers and immigrants-rights advocates say they will be watching closely to see if Maryland's compromise on renewals - which displeased people on both sides of the issue - works.
It's unclear whether illegal immigrants will choose to be singled out by getting licenses that look different. And some worry that the two kinds of licenses will lead to discrimination by police officers and court officials.
Others, including Republican lawmakers who have long fought for an end to licensing illegal immigrants, say the two-tiered system may prove too onerous. It's unrealistic, they say, for security agents across the country to learn about the various styles.
"I think this is only going to add to the confusion," said Del. Ron George, an Anne Arundel County Republican. "The sooner we get away from the two licenses, the more secure we're going to be."
