Undocumented immigrants lost the right to legally drive in Virginia in 2004 after widespread fear of terrorist attacks made way for anti-immigrant legislation. That meant that many people were forced to choose between losing their jobs and risking jail time and possible deportation for driving on a suspended license. In 2020, after more than a decade of organizing and legislative advocacy as part of the Drive Virginia Forward Coalition and the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, undocumented and under-documented Virginians won back the right to drive through the implementation of Driver’s Privilege Cards. 

Since the law went into effect in early 2021, over 40,000 immigrants have already received the new form of ID.