Blue states rallied for illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses ahead of Trump's REAL ID crackdown

Nineteen states and DC passed laws allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses ahead of President Trump's enforcement of REAL IDs in May.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver's licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement for all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply. 

The move to officially enforce REAL IDs at the national level for domestic air travel comes after 19 states and Washington, D.C., put laws on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.