Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners Pass Support for Driver's Licences for Undocumented Residents.

KALAMAZOO, Mich -The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted to pass a resolution in support of granting driver’s licenses to undocumented residents in a packed board chamber in Downtown Kalamazoo Tuesday night.

The commission meeting began with a public comment section with most speakers in support of the resolution.  One of the speakers was Tony Nelson, a Kalamazoo resident of two years. Nelson shared a story about two Spanish speaking men, who were the only people to give him a ride to Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus after he missed a bus.

“I say that example because it became sort of an example that would tell people about the incredible hospitality of Mexican people and my time in Mexico and how I couldn’t get people who even spoke English and looked like me to even consider giving me a ride,’ he said.

 He saw that hospitality repeatedly during his eight years of managing a study abroad program and asked the board to do the “…right, humane thing,” Nelson said.

Commissioner Michael Quinn and Vice Chair Tracy Hall spoke in support of the resolution before voting. Commissioner Stephanie Moore also shared her thoughts.

“ I think that it is important for people living in our community [to have the same access to tools and resources, to get to work, to daycare, to take care of their children, to earn a living, to have that best quality of life that they can have and making sure that they have the access to the tools in their tool box to do it is important,” she said.

The resolution passed with eight in favor and one oppose vote by Commissioner John Gisler.