Demonstration Wednesday works to prevent impounding vehicles of illegal immigrants

.bakersfieldcalifornian ^ | Apr 02 2014 | RUTH BROWN

[moonshinner_09]

When Delia "Dee" Dominguez's close friend had a vehicle impounded and was left stranded on the side of Kern Canyon Road she decided to take action.

Police had taken the car because her friend, an undocumented immigrant, did not have a driver's license.It was that ordeal that inspired Dominguez to participate in a demonstration held Wednesday outside the offices of the Bakersfield Police Department. The demonstration was part of a statewide effort to create a moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed, illegal immigrants -- many of whom will be able to apply for licenses when a new law takes effect in nine months.

Dominguez, 63, said as a member of the Hispanic community she has seen an increase in unlicensed immigrants having their vehicles seized. She did not have exact numbers on this alleged increase but believes part of it is due to unnecessarily aggressive racial profiling.

The impounding especially impacts Bakersfield farm workers' ability to do their jobs, she said.

"(Farm workers) enrich our valley and yet they are the poorest," Dominguez, of Bakersfield, said.

Colleen Flynn, a volunteer attorney for the National Lawyers Guild, said the cost of getting a vehicle out of an impound can be expensive. It can cost anywhere from $100 to $300 for release fees and $1,500 to $2,000 for impound fees, which sometimes exceeds the car's worth.

Cynthia Anderson-Barker, of the National Lawyers Guild, said her main concern is the "aggressive tactics" used by California Highway Patrol when impounding people's vehicles.

Anderson-Barker said while driving a vehicle without a license is a crime, the drivers should be allowed to call someone who is licensed to come pick up the car rather than having it immediately impounded.

[moonshinner_09]

I wish the laws would work for me like they do the illegals..I could break laws and say when the new laws are suppose to pass this will not be a crime. illegals are not only driving without a license..BUT no insurance..So if an illegal hits you,you cannot get a judgement due to no $$$$..These supportes are ok with illegal workers using document fraud..I guess it's their constitutional right...Illegals every time it says drivers license you see,,,,the same thing...work,school and doctors...Getting free medical care..How nice it must be..How nice it must be to drive without license/insurance...

[SunkenCiv]

Better yet, lock the illegals in the trunk and tow the whole works across the border with Mexico — then slash the tires and chop a hole in the tank.

> The demonstration was part of a statewide effort to create a moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed, illegal immigrants — many of whom will be able to apply for licenses when a new law takes effect in nine months.

[GeronL]

Special rights for foreign criminal invaders

[GraceG]

Can we stop the impounding of people’s property that have been impounded for not paying certain FEDERAL taxes????

uhhhhh, NO....

So what the hell makes this other group of lawbreakers so G-D D_MNED special????

[ArmstedFragg]

For the last six months or so, California state law has prohibited impounding vehicles driven by unlicensed illegals as long as they can get someone who has a license to drive it away. So there’s some details missing from this story.

[Ray76]

So an illegal alien - a foreigner - is treated better than a citizen.

Keep pushing it. Keeeep pushing it. It won’t end well.

[VerySadAmerican]

So, I guess they’re getting “licked” by Lizard Lick Towing.

[DaveA37]

That’s RACIST!

[exit82]

Reading the article, I was impressed with how formulaic the first three paragraphs are.

Realize that this is what passes for journalism, and how writing about the supposed ills of the world are to be packaged and propagandized.

Follow the script.

By the way, the reporter should be asked what race Hispanics are.

[bgill]

Should be impounding illegals.

[liberalh8ter]

I guess under this thinking, all handguns,’ assault rifles’, etc, must be returned to criminals after they serve their time?

[James R. McClure Jr.]

Peace, moonshinner_09,

I wish the laws would work for me like they do the illegals..I could break laws and say when the new laws are suppose to pass this will not be a crime. illegals are not only driving without a license..BUT no insurance..

That's why the appropriate phrase is criminal aliens. Equal treatment under the law is one of the founding principles of the United States and the supporters of criminal aliens are working to undermine that principle.

James R. McClure Jr.
Jeffersonian Anti-Federalist Democrat candidate for IN09

[sickoflibs]

RE :”The demonstration was part of a statewide effort to create a moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed, illegal immigrants — many of whom will be able to apply for licenses when a new law takes effect in nine months.”

I caught this part.

[sheana]

I live in Bakersfield. You can’t throw a cat without hitting an illegal.

[morphing libertarian]

do you recall a source on that.

It was my understanding state law required impounding. The Chief of Police of LAPD decided he would not have officers impound and he caught a ration because it was in violation of state law.

IIRC

[ArmstedFragg]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/california-impounding-practices-change-for-unlicensed-drivers/

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0351-0400/ab_353_bill_20110908_enrolled.html

[ArmstedFragg]

This may be an apples and oranges issue. I’m intimately familiar with the new impound rules governing checkpoints, and my city applies those to most traffic stops too. I also remember a legislative attempt to broaden the rules, but haven’t found the actual legislation, so it’s possible the checkpoint rule is different from the non-checkpoint rule.

[morphing libertarian]

Thanks