Illegal immigration fears have run high during the 2025 Wyoming Legislature and on Tuesday that continued when the Senate Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee advanced a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from driving in Wyoming.
If passed into law, House Bill 116 would specify that driver’s licenses issued by other states to illegal immigrants are invalid in Wyoming. Those found violating the law could face a misdemeanor charge carrying up to six months in jail and up to $750 fines.
The committee advanced the bill on a 4-1 vote, with only state Sen. Ed Cooper, R-Ten Sleep, voting against it.
President Donald Trump made curbing illegal immigration a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign and the Wyoming Legislature has followed suit, bringing a trove of bills during this year’s session to try and address the matter even though no evidence has shown there is a sizable population of these people in Wyoming.
The bill exempts people who are legally in the U.S., such as college students and people working on a visa.
Tensions Rise
A slightly heated exchange arose between Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, and Antonio Serrano, the ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director, over the practicality of the bill. Serrano sees HB 116 as sending a message that Wyoming is anti-immigrant.
He also believes HB 116 will lead to increased racial profiling, a form of discrimination Serrano said he’s been dealing with his whole life.
Nineteen U.S. states issue driver’s licenses to some or all of their population of people unauthorized to be living in the United States. Rep. Pepper Ottman, R-Riverton, the sponsor of HB 116, believes these states are breaking federal law.
Since some of these IDs don’t clarify non-U.S. citizenship, Serrano believes it will lead Wyoming law enforcement to target minorities.
A Wyoming native, Serrano shared the story of an experience he had a few months ago with being profiled, where he said multiple sheriff deputies and police officers surrounded his vehicle in a Cheyenne parking lot when he was waiting to take a family member to the airport.
He said the authorities immediately started yelling at him and searched his vehicle without his consent. Serrano said he wasn’t released until the person who called the cops on him admitted they made a mistake.
“This is what this (the bill) is going to lead to,” he said.
Kolb questioned Serrano why he believes the bill sends a message that Wyoming is anti-immigrant. He mentioned how his wife is an immigrant and stressed that the only message he sees it sending is that Wyoming is anti-illegal immigrant, not all immigrants.
He questioned Serrano if he sees no difference between people who came in the country illegally and people who have gone through a legal process and are here legally.
“I think we’re talking about two distinct groups of people,” Kolb said.
Serrano told Kolb’s his proximity to someone of color “does not mean you get to speak for us.”
“If you’re not part of our community, you don’t know how we see these bills and how we perceive them,” Serrano said. “The way that these bills are received by immigrants is that our state is anti-immigrant.”
Wyoming Republican Party Executive Director Kathy Russell testifies Feb. 18, 2025, in favor of a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from driving in Wyoming during a meeting of the Sentate Transportion, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, which voted 4-1 to advance the bill to the full Senate. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) 
State Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, discusses a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from driving in Wyoming during a Feb. 18, 2025, meeting of the Sentate Transportion, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, which voted 4-1 to advance the bill to the full Senate. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) 
State Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, discusses a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from driving in Wyoming during a Feb. 18, 2025, meeting of the Sentate Transportion, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, which voted 4-1 to advance the bill to the full Senate. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) 
Wyoming ACLU Advocacy Director Antonio Serrano testifies Feb. 18, 2025, against a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from driving in Wyoming during a meeting of the Sentate Transportion, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, which voted 4-1 to advance the bill to the full Senate. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily)
Serrano also said there is significant ambiguity about what is considered an illegal immigrant as many people enter the country legally but then overstay their visas.
He also said many people enter America illegally because they have no other option. Serrano said it costs about $10,000 to become a legal U.S. citizen, a financial burden some people cannot afford.
“I know what it’s like to put food on my table and I slaved away and did what I can to provide food for my family, so I don’t fault or judge anybody for having to make a decision they have to make to survive,” Serrano said.
Kolb did not respond to these remarks, but did not appear pleased to hear them.
But Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne, did later on and mentioned how Wyoming law already prohibits people residing in the U.S. illegally from receiving driver’s licenses in the state.
“I’ve had some concerns from people questioning whether our streets will be safe without these people, but it looks to me we’re just saying that we’re not going to recognize a driver’s license from other states for illegal immigrants,” she said. “I don’t think that those concerns I’ve heard, it does not look like they’re valid as I see the bill written.”
Kathy Russell, executive director of the Wyoming GOP, also brought up how a driver’s license or ID Card from another state is an acceptable form of identification to vote in Wyoming as long as the applicant claims they’re a Wyoming resident. This avenue could theoretically allow an illegal immigrant to vote if their ID didn’t clarify they are a non-U.S. citizen.
Compact Questions
Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, expressed some concern that HB 116 as written could cause issues with the Driver License Compact. This interstate compact is used by all 50 states to exchange information concerning license suspensions and traffic violations of non-residents and forward them to the state where they are licensed known as the home state.
Misty Zimmerman, Wyoming Department of Transportation driver services program manager, said it could create issues as the compact states that states will accept driver’s licenses from other jurisdictions. She said the issue of residency isn’t addressed in the compact.
“I’m not sure what the impact will be,” she said.
Concerns about this issue, Cooper said, is what led to him voting against the bill.
The issue of international tourists also got brought up on Tuesday. Major KC Ramsey of the Wyoming Highway Patrol said usually when he pulls over these people, their passport serves as an adequate form of identification.
Pappas said he’ll bring an amendment when the bill is considered in the Senate to clarify people holding an international driver’s license will also be exempted from the bill.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
