The 31-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico has used his Utah driver license to cash checks, get a bank loan to buy his West Valley City home and book a flight.

But a bill that gained Senate approval Monday would strip him of that state-sanctioned identification card.

Senate Bill 227, which passed to the House on a partisan vote, would create the "driving privilege card." The card would allow undocumented immigrants to continue to drive and get car insurance but would stop them from using the piece of plastic in any other official capacity.

Without the standard driver license, Primi said, he is afraid people might discriminate against him and those like him.

"Everyone is going to know you're illegal," said Primi, who is married with two children. "We're hard workers. We pay taxes. We pay bills like the rest of the legal people."

Primi said the special permits are a way to "mark" illegal immigrants.

"Now, it's a driver's permit. What's next, a mark on our license plate?" he said standing in the State Capitol's plaza. "They need to reform laws of immigration - not cut our rights."

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, says some undocumented immigrants are using their access to driver licenses to obtain rights illegally, such as voting in elections or buying a firearm.

SB227 was prompted by a legislative audit that showed 95,000 licenses or state ID cards were issued to undocumented workers, and 14 are suspected to have voted in the most recent election.

Bramble continues to be escorted by Utah Highway Patrol troopers because of the number of protesters, though no threats have been made.

Bramble waited to call for a vote until he knew he would have the support of more than 20 senators, because with two-thirds voting in favor of the bill it will go into effect immediately.

Senate President John Valentine, a supporter of driving privilege cards, said immediate enactment is necessary to head off a "run on the bank," with undocumented immigrants rushing to Utah to get a license before the bill becomes law.

Another driver license-related bill sponsored by Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, has been diverted to legislative study over the next year. Tilton wanted to allow a private company to oversee an undocumented immigrant database; the bill also provided English and government courses.

A companion bill, which probably also will be assigned for months of study, would make it mandatory for undocumented immigrants to sign up for the database and pay a monthly fee of $25 to $50 to obtain the privilege to drive a vehicle.

Tilton said the bills would allow the state to track the undocumented population and determine their effect on the state system.

About 85 members of the Latino community observed the hearing on Tilton's House Bill 130.

"We already have enough problems in our state of people profiting off of undocumented individuals," James Yapias, a community activist, told lawmakers.

Democratic representatives on the committee wanted to kill the measure, but HB130 was sent to study before they could make any attempt.