CALIFORNIA — Illegal immigrants will now be able to get a driver's license in California.

On Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown signed controversial legislation that makes illegal immigrants eligible to drive legally in California if they qualify for a new federal work permit program.

The bill's sponsor had been crusading for such a law since a broader measure he pushed through the legislature in 2003 prompted a voter backlash.

That Obama Administration protocol allows illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. before they were 16, and who are now 30 or younger and meet certain other criteria, to obtain work permits.

The Governor's signing comes after an intense week of protests, prayer vigils, and lobbying by immigrant advocacy groups.