Emphasizing their support for allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Minnesota’s five other Catholic bishops wrote a letter supporting H.F. 1500 and submitted it to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

“This legislation does not ‘reward’ those who have broken the law,” the March 25 letter states. “Providing driver’s licenses is a concrete measure of solidarity that takes into account the complexity of the immigration issue. It seeks to protect the well-being of undocumented persons considering the reality of their situation and actual prospects for immigration reform and enforcement.”

To read the letter, go to the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s website.

The bill was debated and passed on the House floor April 5.