{"id":27054,"date":"2026-08-04T08:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T03:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27054"},"modified":"2026-08-04T08:11:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T03:11:40","slug":"abdul-el-sayed-backed-drivers-licenses-for-undocumented-immigrants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27054","title":{"rendered":"Abdul El-Sayed backed driver&#8217;s licenses for undocumented immigrants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372209\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\/michigan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michigan<\/a>, once proposed allowing undocumented immigrants to secure driver&#8217;s licenses, making the case that not doing so would be discriminatory.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">&#8220;We\u2019ve got to make sure that in this state we are not discriminating against documentation status. Right now, if you\u2019re undocumented, you don\u2019t get access to a driver\u2019s license. You\u2019re stuck,&#8221; El-Sayed said in a 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ue1CYEpygTI&amp;t=2832s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">campaign interview.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">At the time, El-Sayed was running for governor.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Eight years later, as he looks to join the U.S. Senate, the resurfaced clip sheds light on El-Sayed\u2019s past thinking about how local governments should interact with <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372211\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/immigration\/illegal-immigrants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">illegal aliens<\/a> and raises questions about whether granting them state identification would in some ways legitimize their presence in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372212\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/socialist-backed-michigan-senate-hopeful-calls-american-politics-disease-after-professing-love-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>SOCIALIST-BACKED MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AMERICAN POLITICS A &#8216;DISEASE&#8217; AFTER PROFESSING LOVE FOR US<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/Abdul-El-Sayed-Detroit-rally.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Abdul El-Sayed at rally\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Michigan Democratic candidate for Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.<\/span> <span>(Sarah Rice\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Hans von Spakovsky, an elections expert for Advancing American Freedom, explained that a license can act as a doorway to a range of government benefits.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Because America does not have a national ID card like the Europeans and other nations, state driver&#8217;s licenses are a stand-in for that ID card. Issuing driver&#8217;s licenses to aliens will help them in all the instances where a license is needed, from opening bank accounts to all types of other transactions,&#8221; Spakovsky said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Spakovsky noted that I-9 forms, paperwork for employment eligibility, regularly require little else than a license.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;The key to getting aliens to self-deport would be to ensure that they cannot rent apartments, open bank accounts and take all of the other steps necessary to live and work in the U.S.,&#8221; Spakovsky said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Providing them driver&#8217;s licenses is a huge step in allowing them to easily live and work in the United States,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372213\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/maine-law-limits-police-cooperation-federal-immigration-officials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>NEW MAINE LAW LIMITS POLICE COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/abdul-el-sayed-february-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Abdul El-Sayed\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed poses for a portrait in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.<\/span> <span>(Evan Cobb for The Washington Post via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">In the 2018 clip, El-Sayed seemed concerned that <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372214\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/immigration\/illegal-immigrants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">illegal aliens<\/a> would be ineligible for some of those advantages.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;You don\u2019t get access to a lot of the basic things that the state offers everybody else, and I think that\u2019s ridiculous and so we\u2019ve got to stop discriminating that way,&#8221; El-Sayed said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Although El-Sayed has rejected labels like &#8220;progressive&#8221; or &#8220;far-left,&#8221; he has advocated for a more government-first approach in many key areas like affordability, infrastructure and <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372215\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/executive\/social-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">public services.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">He\u2019s advocated for <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372216\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/shocking-percentage-democrats-identify-democratic-socialists-according-new-poll-toxic-policies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Medicare for all,<\/a> opposes corporate tax carve-outs, and he supports tuition-free access to higher education. When asked about promises to increase government provisions by candidates like Zohran Mamdani, El-Sayed said he believes that Democrats will trend in that direction.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;You\u2019re seeing that kind of resonance here in <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372217\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\/michigan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michigan<\/a> for sure. And I\u2019m not surprised that you\u2019re seeing that in New York, too. Government ought to be available to set an equal playing field for everybody and to offer those basic things that everybody needs and deserves,&#8221; El-Sayed told Fox News Digital in an interview.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372218\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/shocking-percentage-democrats-identify-democratic-socialists-according-new-poll-toxic-policies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS &#8216;DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS&#8217; ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: &#8216;TOXIC POLICIES&#8217;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan Abdul El-Sayed\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, at a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan on August 2, 2026<\/span> <span>(\u00a0)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372220\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/michigan-senate-race-el-sayeds-ties-extremist-fuel-antisemitism-concerns-among-jewish-voters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">El-Sayed\u2019s campaign<\/a> did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how far government should go in providing some of those same services to non-residents. His campaign also did not address whether providing licenses for undocumented immigrants would be a tacit approval of their presence in the country.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">El-Sayed faces off against Rep. Haley Stevens on Tuesday evening in the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_372221\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/democrats-civil-war-heads-michigan-progressives-face-biggest-test-high-stakes-senate-showdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">state\u2019s primaries.<\/a> Whoever secures the party\u2019s nomination will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, once proposed allowing undocumented immigrants to secure driver&#8217;s licenses, making the case that not doing so would be discriminatory. &#8220;We\u2019ve got to make sure that in this state we are not discriminating against documentation status. Right now,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/abdul-el-sayed-campaign-event-detroit-michigan-aug.-2-2026.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}