Once again Movimiento Cosecha visits Sen. Brinks in Lansing without a commitment to passing legislation providing undocumented immigrants with drivers licenses

Since 2018, Movimiento Cosecha Michigan has made drivers licenses for the undocumented community one of its top priorities. 

Legislation was initially introduced in 2019, primarily because of the organizing done by Movimiento Cosecha and other immigrants rights groups.

After the Democratic Party took control of the Governor’s office, the State Senate and the State House in early 2023, Movimiento Cosecha, along with many immigrant justice groups believed that passing legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses would be a priority of the party that claims to stand for those most marginalized in our society.

In March of 2023, Movimiento Cosecha went to Lansing, specifically to speak with Senator Brinks, especially since she became the Senate majority leader at the beginning of 2023. However, upon speaking with staff members of Senator Brinks, they came away frustrated, especially since Senator Brinks’ staff could not make any promises on passing what is now called the Drive Michigan Forward bill.

In early May, GRIID posted a piece entitled, Elected officials need to participate in the social movements that are being led by BIPOC communities in Grand Rapids. In that article we stated: 

Now, some might say that since Senator Brinks, who has introduced a bill in support of Driver’s Licenses, doesn’t need to attend Movimiento Cosecha events. People are aware of the fact that Senator Brinks has introduced legislation, but the undocumented community, who can’t obtain Driver’s Licenses, also cannot vote. Therefore, it seems to me that regardless of whether or not people can vote, if they are some of the most vulnerable people in the state, then elected officials should make it a priority to develop relationships with them.

In looking at Senator Brinks’ Facebook page, it is clear that she attended several other events last week and even a local coffee shop that was just a few blocks from where the May Day march had been walking in the rain last Monday. People in positions of power and privilege need to interact with, develop relationships with, and be in solidarity with undocumented immigrants. Proposing legislation and even passing legislation are not enough, since they can learn a great deal from those who facing family separation on a daily basis.

In June, Movimiento Cosecha made a trip to the Detroit area, to pay a visit to Rep. Tullio Liberati’s home, since the Democratic Representative had not yet committed to supporting the Drive Michigan Forward bill. No one came to the door at Rep. Liberati’s home, but Cosecha organizers left a message and encouraged people to call his office to pressure him to support the legislation that would provide undocumented immigrants the right to obtain a drivers license.

Earlier today, roughly 40 Movimiento Cosecha Michigan members took a bus to Lansing to once again visit with the Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and urge her to make the Drive Forward Michigan bill a priority for 2023.

Movimiento Cosecha members arrived at Senator’s Brinks’ office and walked in with the idea of sharing a clear message about what passing this bill was so important, along with several members who planned to share testimonies about how difficult it was to feel safe and take care of their families without a drivers license. You can see in the picture above, all of the Movimiento Cosecha Members packed into the Senator’s office.

Within minutes, about a half a dozen capitol police showed up, forcing their way in and demanding that Movimiento Cosecha members removed themselves from the office. All 40 of those who were in the office, slowly filed out and then gathered in the hallway, where they were then met by the Senator’s staff who asked them to share their concerns. What was interesting is that several of the capitol police/security guards were flanking the Senator’s staff, to make sure there was no harm done to them. (See picture below) This was ridiculous, especially since Movimiento Cosecha Michigan has always taken a stance of non-violence since they began organizing in 2017.

Several people did speak up and share the urgent message that they did not want to hear any more promises made from politicians or their staff about drivers licenses, rather they wanted a verbal commitment to pass the Drive Forward Michigan bill this fall, especially now that the Democrats control all three branches of the State government. 

There were other people who shared more personal messages, like one man who worked 3rd shift last night, came home, and then went straight to where Movimiento Cosecha had a bus lined up to take people. Another young man talked about having a brother with a disability, which further complicated the fact that his parents did not have a drivers license, limiting how they could get around for medical appointments for his brother. He also mentioned that he would have to get up a couple of hours earlier for school to walk to the nearest bus stop and then catch a bus to go to school. These dynamics, all due his parents not having a driver’s license, caused tremendous stress, and that was on top of the fact that ICE agents could arrest, detain and deport family members at any time.

The staff members from Senator Brinks’ office never made any commitments, nor could they promise that Senator Brinks would make passing the Drive Forward Michigan bill this fall. The only thing they said they would do would be to schedule a meeting with members of Movimiento Cosecha Michigan, which meant they provided a sheet of paper for anyone who wanted to provide their contact information.You could see that many people felt frustrated and demoralized, by the look on their faces. People began saying to each other, “What else do we have to do to make it clear to these politicians that it is a life and death matter for their families have drivers licenses.”

After leaving the capitol building, the Cosecha community members shared food,  beverages, and some music. After about 30 minutes of communal food sharing, Cosecha Michigan organizer Gema Lowe let everyone know about the next actions that were being planned and that they were not giving up the fight to win drivers licenses for all in Michigan.