In the near future, we will be introducing legislation requiring PennDOT to periodically verify the immigration status of legal immigrants holding Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and photo identification cards.

As you may be aware, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently reported the arrest of an illegal alien with alleged ties to a terrorist group who was issued a CDL and a Real ID by PennDOT. This is concerning for many reasons.

Not only is this prohibited generally under Federal law, but Pennsylvania law only permits the issuance of a driver’s license to non-citizens if they can provide documentation to PennDOT demonstrating their lawful presence in the United States. Additionally, Pennsylvania law generally requires PennDOT to re-verify a non-citizen’s immigration credentials only upon renewal of the license.

Even more seriously, the fact that an individual in the United States illegally – and with reported ties to a terrorist organization – possessed valid identification which would have allowed them to enter sensitive areas, such as government buildings and airports, is a very real threat that should give all of us great pause. 

While additional details on the immigration history of the arrested illegal alien and how he obtained a license are forthcoming, the press release issued by DHS notes that the individual was given a legal “work authorization” by the Biden administration in 2024. This work authorization may have provided the individual with the documents necessary to prove lawful presence in the United States, making him eligible to receive a license from PennDOT.

The photo of the license in the DHS press release showed an issuance date of 2025 with an expiration date of four years, which makes evident a glaring loophole in Pennsylvania’s current laws regarding the ability of non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses. While a legal immigrant can obtain a license from PennDOT if they can prove their legal status, it may be possible for their legal status to be revoked or suspended after PennDOT issued the license, which can be valid for up to four years.

Pennsylvania law should not assume that an immigrant’s legal status remains unchanged for several years. To this end, we will be introducing legislation requiring PennDOT to directly verify with DHS the legal immigration status of every non-citizen holding a driver’s license or photo identification card on a monthly basis. The intent of Pennsylvania law is clear; only US citizens and legal immigrants may hold a license in Pennsylvania, and we must ensure that legal immigrants retain their legal immigration status during the entirety of their licensing period, not just during the initial application period and at renewal. While DHS is responsible for maintaining and updating the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, Pennsylvania should still do all that we can to ensure that something like this never happens again.

Please join us in cosponsoring this legislation that will close this loophole.