WASHINGTON — With Congress at an impasse on major federal immigration legislation, some advocates have turned to local legislatures to promote and push through bills that would give undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses, in-state college tuition and other services.
“Because Washington doesn’t work, because Washington is not capable of solving problems at the national level, then states, they have been trying to improve the lives of people,” said Juan Manuel Guzman, state advocacy director at immigrant advocacy group United We Dream.
But those local advocates also recently have ramped up their defenses against what several described as a rise in anti-immigrant proposed bills in Texas and other states ahead of next year’s presidential election.
