LANSING, MI – When Maria Ibarra-Frayre was 18, she was then an undocumented immigrant living in Detroit and attending college.

One day, she missed her ride to class and had a choice: take a two-hour bus ride and be late or drive herself and risk legal consequences for not having a license. She decided to drive.

“Not because I wanted to, but because I had to,” said Ibarra-Frayre, deputy director of We the People Michigan. “This is the reality for 100,000 undocumented Michiganders. Every day we are forced to make decisions that put all of us at risk. But it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Ibarra-Frayre was among more than 50 people who gathered on a cold Tuesday morning, Dec. 3, on the Michigan Capitol steps calling on lawmakers to pass what is called the Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom and Economy) legislation.

The bills have yet to get a hearing in either chamber, and there are only a few weeks are left of Democrats controlling both the state House and Senate.

The chance of the bills passing next year is slim, as Republican House leadership, which will control the House next year, opposes the legislation.

The Drive SAFE bill package would allow Michigan residents to obtain driver’s licenses even if they’re unable to show they’re living in the U.S. legally. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, both Democrats, have previously backed similar bills.

Related: Push for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants in Michigan faces lame duck roadblocks

Proponents say the proposed law would lower insurance rates, ensure those behind the wheel are qualified and allow all Michigan residents to drive to their jobs, take their kids to school, get groceries and complete other life necessities without fear of deportation or jail time.

“Nineteen other states have done this,” said Majority Floor Leader Rep. Abraham Aiyash, D-Hamtramck. “If you want to think about ways of reducing car insurance rates, increasing public safety, reducing potential car fatalities, the way you do that is by ensuring that those who get behind the wheel in the state of Michigan are qualified.”

Aiyash declined to say whether all House Democrats are onboard with passing the legislation during lame duck, but, he added, he’s hopeful it’ll be approved.

One of the Drive SAFE bill sponsors, state Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, has said there was previously enough support among Democrats to pass the bills in the House but a few members broke support after the election.

Before 2008, Michigan was one of a handful of states that issued driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. The legislature passed a law banning the practice following an opinion issued by former Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican.

“There is no sound reason not to pass this legislation. Zero,” Aiyash said during the Tuesday rally. “There is no economic argument. There is no public safety argument. The only thing that is causing delay in this argument is cowardice.

“It is cowardice because you have some people who work in this building behind me that choose to divide and choose to stir up hatred for people that literally are the reasons you’re able to have your Thanksgiving dinners.”

Related: Ensuring immigrants can acquire Michigan driver’s licenses lets them live in peace, advocates say

Isabel, an undocumented resident living in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming, gave examples of how not having a driver’s license has impacted people like her.

She’s heard of a mother who was unable to pick up medicine for her child because it was a controlled substance and the pharmacist needed to see an ID.

She’s heard of another mother who was on her way to work at 4 a.m. when she was arrested and taken to jail because she couldn’t produce a license during a routine traffic stop.

And she’s heard of a father whose vehicle was hit by a reckless driver. That driver then threatened he would call police on the man for not having a license unless he paid him money.

“These are not isolated stories,” said Isabel, who declined to give her last name. “These are real heartbreaking experiences of people in our state. Our neighbors. Our family members. Our friends. Stories that show us the undeniable need for change. That’s why I’m here in Lansing today.”

The legislation is supported by a number of organizations, including the Michigan Catholic Conference.

“In Michigan, having a driver’s license is vital for being able to participate in community life and take care of our families, and that is no different for undocumented residents of the state,” Tom Hickson, vice president for public policy and advocacy for MCC, said Tuesday.

“This policy would ensure children can safely arrive to school with a parent, mothers and fathers can legally drive to the grocery store, pharmacy or church, and every person in this state is aware that more drivers have undergone training and testing in order to make our roads safer.”

Similar legislation has been introduced every session since 2016 only to die in committee each time.

“For over 50 years we have been struggling and the time for change is long overdue,” Isabel said. “It’s not just my own fear when I get behind the wheel not knowing if I’ll make it home safely after a routine traffic stop. It’s the fear that so many of us as members of this community have been living for so long.”