The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) would have to verify people’s legal status in the U.S. when they apply for a driver’s license under a bill advanced by an Iowa House panel.
The proposal (SF 2187) would require the department to use the online SAVE system when a person does not provide proof of citizenship. A Real ID would count as proof for people renewing their license.
Erica Johnson, executive director of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, which provides legal services to immigrants, is opposed to the bill. She said it does nothing to prevent fraud.
“This bill is a tool to expand a false narrative about supposed voter fraud by noncitizens in Iowa in order to undermine Iowans’ confidence in our elections,” she said. “So, we’re opposed to the bill.”
Susan Fenton, a spokesperson for the DOT, said the department currently uses SAVE. Fenton also said older people who don’t have a Real ID would have to provide proof of citizenship when renewing their license.
In 2024, Iowa’s top election official, Secretary of State Paul Pate, used self-reported DOT data to claim more than 2,000 noncitizens were registered to vote. The following year, Pate said the office confirmed almost 13% of people on the list were noncitizens using the SAVE system.