ILLEGAL ALIEN DRIVER'S LICENSES: MIGHT BE A GOOD THING IF IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY
Many states have refused to issue driver's licenses which meet the requirements of the REAL ID act. Civil libertarians note that these cards, issued by the individual state's department of motor vehicles, would amount to a national identity card and a means for the in-depth tracking of citizens in ways that may be unconstitutional.
Illegal aliens know that the driver's license serves as a "breeder document" and is the key to the photo documentation chain. With a driver's license one can open up a bank account, gain access to Federal buildings, obtain utility services and pretty much do anything that doesn't actually require a United States passport. And, since most states have reciprocity arrangements to allow out-of state non-resident drivers the same privileges as those accorded to local drivers, it is possible to obtain a driver's license in one state and then surrender that license in another state for an "unrestricted" legal citizen's version of the license -- and thus appear to be a legitimate American citizen of foreign ancestry.
In defiance of the federal government, New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, claimed that he would ignore federal requirements and issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
Which led to a government showdown. Or knowing the Bush Administration's viewpoint on "regularizing" legal aliens, a faux fight.
Associated Press reports...
"Homeland Security strikes deal with New York on driver's licenses"
"The Bush administration and New York cut a deal Saturday to create a new generation of super-secure driver's licenses for U.S. citizens, but also allow illegal immigrants to get a version."
"The deal comes about one month after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced a plan whereby illegal immigrants with a valid foreign passport could obtain a license.
Saturday's agreement with the Homeland Security Department will create a three-tier license system in New York."
- "Under the compromise, New York will produce an 'enhanced driver's license' that will be as secure as a passport. It is intended for people who soon will need to meet such ID requirements, even for a short drive to Canada."
- "A second version of the license will meet new federal standards of the Real ID Act. That law is designed to make it much harder for illegal immigrants or would-be terrorists to obtain licenses."
- "A third type of license will be available to undocumented immigrants. Spitzer has said this ID will make the state more secure by bringing those people 'out of the shadows' and into American society, and will lower auto insurance rates." Those licenses will be clearly marked to show they are not valid federal ID.
Most illegal immigrants do not have valid passports which immediately decreases the number of eligible drivers. It is anticipated that the standard will be relaxed to simply require some form of matricula consular cards which are issued by a the foreign national's consulate offices.
According to security experts, the cards are "inherently unreliable and unverifiable as an identification card and is highly vulnerable to fraud, regardless of its security features."
Illegal immigrants have no compunction about breaking or ignoring a nation's laws. Therefore, should illegal aliens be required to obtain insurance, it is projected that rates for others would surely increase to offset the increase risks of drivers who normally drive older cars and who may have substantially poorer driving skills.
"Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he was not happy that New York intended to issue IDs to illegal immigrants. But he said there was nothing he could do to stop it. 'I don't endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice,' Chertoff said. 'It's going to be a big deal up in Buffalo, it's going to be a big deal on the Canadian side of the border,' Chertoff said."
"Officials, however, would not say whether that meant local law enforcement could use such a license as probable cause to detain someone they suspected of being in the U.S. illegally."
Sanctuary cities would probably implement legislation prohibiting local police and others from using these licenses for enforcement or denying any type of social welfare benefits.
With everything considered, the benefits of providing driver's licenses to illegal aliens seem to outweigh the negatives. Consider the following points...
Make the driver's license different from those of legal citizens. While the ACLU may sue over some imagined slight, resist the temptation to provide the same type of documentation to those who have already demonstrated that they will break any law for expediency.
Make the illegal alien provide additional documentation as to birth date and birth place to insure that the information is correct.
Make the applicant pass the physical driving test as well as the written examination. Do not allow the use of a rental or driver education car to pass the physical driving test. Make sure the illegal alien is accompanied by a licensed driver and the vehicle's registration is in order. Make the driver present proof of insurance. (Which could lead to the birth of another cottage industry -- clean car rentals, complete with a citizen-driver)
Use the time between the issuance of a temporary license and the permanent license to perform a background check on the individual's fingerprints and whatever else can be performed to determine a past criminal nature. Although foreign penal records are often not computerized and no standard information interchange protocols with language translation capability are in use at the present time.
Require an in-person visit to pick up the permanent license to avoid duplicates floating around the system due to a "lost in the mail" complaint. Criminals and others could be arrested on the spot, if necessary.
Should any illegal alien attempt to use an alternate identification while possessing a state-issued driver's license for the purpose of evading the law, make that grounds for immediate, unconditional deportation. The same goes for anyone possessing a driver's license belonging to another. Illegal aliens are known to have multiple identities based on various combinations of names and those of their spouses, inlaws and families (aka Los Angeles Mayor Tony Villar AKA Villaraigosa). It must be stressed that there can be ONLY one driver's license per person -- and a single valid card from any state. No more multiple licensing from other states. Of course, biometrics such as fingerprints should solve many of these problems and allow for the cancellation of mutiple-state licenses.
Make the counterfeiting of any "secure" license a federal crime punishable by jail, followed by permanent deportation.
Extend the program to issue "Identification" cards to family members of the license applicant. This would function the same way as drivers are provided with identification cards when they surrender their licenses for age- or illness-related reasons.
After a warning period, any person driving without a valid license is subject to deportation. Drunk drivers will be given their day in court and remanded to the local ICE representative. Cars will continue to be confiscated due to the "public safety" issue of having an unlicensed or uninsured motorist on the road.
Build a more secure testing program for the written exam where the answers are not passed around hand-to-hand or published in a magazine article as was done a number of years ago. Any DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) or state employee that is caught subverting the process or improperly providing licenses goes to jail.
As for reciprocity -- insure that the illegal alien's version of a license cannot be used in another state to obtain a valid "citizen's version" of an unrestricted license.
Limit the driving licenses to passenger cars and motorcycles. No heavy trucks or hazardous materials haulers.
Adopt legislative changes to "motor-voter" laws to insure that illegal aliens who use a driver's license as voter identification will be procecuted and deported for election fraud. Candidates and elected officials should be made aware of the consequences of directly or indirectly urging non-citizens to vote.
And, issue the illegal alien license for a period of one year to enable tracking systems to capture information that may not otherwise be available from those using mostly cash for all transactions.
Combine the driver's license program with the Department of Homeland Defense and ICE visa tracking and control system. Anyone who applies for a license after having overstayed their visa would be given an immediate deportation order and scheduling hearing. Failure to attend the hearing would be grounds for immediate license cancellation and deportation. No exceptions.
I think I am going to like this new program. Mostly because the politically correct so-called civil libertarians are going to go bonkers when they realize the full implication of providing illegal alien identification prior to closing the borders and providing a rational immigration policy for those who wish to visit or work in the United States legally.
There will be no more excuses for not having a license, driving without insurance or otherwise flouting current laws.
What can YOU do?
Demand that any program to provide identification to illegal aliens be strictly structured and not subject to the whims of politicians who are known to pander to illegals as a source of workers or potential voters.
Demand that those who drive on our streets, highways and freeways be tested, licensed and carry appropriate insurance.
Do not let any elected or appointed official waive positive biometric identification requirements such as fingerprints.
Do not vote for any candidate or current politician who is willing to subvert the safety, security and sovereignty of the United States or limit an individual's right of self-defense for personal power, prestige or profits.
-- steve
A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…
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Reference Links:
Homeland Security strikes deal with New York on driver's licenses -- Newsday.com
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