Posted on 01/22/2006 9:31:24 PM PST by Coleus
A Hudson County lawmaker who sits on the Assembly Transportation Committee has drafted legislation that would enable illegal immigrants in New Jersey to obtain a restricted driver's license.
Assemblyman Brian Stack, D-Union City, plans to submit a bill to the committee in the spring that calls for illegal immigrants who pass driving tests to obtain a document that allows them to drive, but that could not be used as official identification.
"The bill would make them able to operate a vehicle," Stack said on Saturday. "These are people who need to get to jobs, people who are helping the economy." The announcement about the proposed legislation was made Saturday by Stack's chief of staff, Wendy Martinez, at a conference in New Brunswick about immigration issues.
Addressing a packed hall at Rutgers University of mostly immigration and civil rights advocates, Martinez said: "The goal here is to provide illegal immigrants a license that will allow them to earn their daily bread and that will protect all of us as motorists," by ensuring that qualified, insured drivers are behind the wheel.
Martinez acknowledged the uphill battle that is likely in the effort to promote the idea of a license for illegal immigrants. "We need your support," she told the advocates.
Like many states, New Jersey tightened its license requirements after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the news that some of the hijackers had used driver's licenses to rent apartments, open bank accounts and board airplanes. New Jersey requires that people applying for a license demonstrate that they are in the United States lawfully.
The state also has cracked down on a once-sweeping driver license black market, in which illegal immigrants paid up to $2,000 to middlemen to obtain licenses from motor vehicle agencies. In some cases, the scams involved motor vehicle agency employees who facilitated the fraud in exchange for bribes.
Last year, Congress passed the Real ID Act, which requires lawful U.S. presence for anyone wanting to obtain a driver's license. The measure, however, allows states to issue a so-called "driving privilege card" to people who cannot prove lawful U.S. presence, but who can produce documents showing that they are residents of the state in which they apply for the special license. This "lite license," as some have dubbed it, cannot be used as an official identification document. Such a two-tier driver's license system has drawn objections from many immigrant rights groups around the country. These critics argue that a special license for undocumented immigrants would mark them as "illegal" and, in effect, create a "hit list" for law enforcement authorities who may someday want to go after them.
Some advocates at the Saturday conference, which was organized by the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, a coalition of immigrant rights groups, said that they had misgivings about a legislative proposal that would give illegal immigrants a license that is different from that of other New Jersey drivers.
They argue that illegal immigrants should get the standard driver's license available to other motorists. "The major thing we don't want is a two-tiered system of driver's license that is based on immigration status," said Chia-Chia Wang of American Friends Service Committee. "That would create a database of undocumented people that the federal government can access, and it would set a precedent of singling out undocumented immigrants as second-class citizens."
Stack and Martinez stressed that the assemblyman's draft bill is "still a work in progress," and that they will give serious consideration to the concerns and suggestions of immigrant rights groups. But they also stress that advocates must take a realistic look at the political climate nationwide that seems to be tilting toward stricter immigration measures.
"A two-tiered license system, in the political climate we're in today, has the best chance of garnering support in the Assembly and Senate," Stack said. "I would love to propose that undocumented immigrants get the same license as everyone else. But that is very idealistic. I doubt we could get that through the Legislature. We need to be ready to compromise."
What part of "illegal" do these stupid politicians not understand? They're not supposed to be getting licenses in the first place. Hell, they're not even supposed to be here.
If someone in authority knows of an illegal alien, it would seem to me that that person has the duty to see that the illegal is expelled from this country!
If any member of law enforcement has suspicion of an illegal, then the situation should be investigated like any crime and arrests should be made if warranted.
After that, deportation should be swift.
If any officer fails in this duty, then they should be fired, charged with corruption and failing to enforce the law, etc.
This concept is not new and radical, it is exactly how the law is supposed to work in this country -- how you and I and everybody must follow it.
Everybody, except illegals and those authorities who fail to act.
L
1)Can they actually drive?
Does anyone know if they can, its not like they are going to be going to the DMV and taking the driving exam, or that they even know the traffic laws.
2)Auto insurance?
If they are here illegally, and you let them drive, aren't you by defacto opening up the roads to uninsured drivers (en mass no less).
I understand that traveling carnival workers can get restricted licenses in many states. These licenses are colloquially known as "clown licenses". It sounds like this Hudson County lawmaker is proposing that the state issue clown licenses to illegal aliens. I think somebody should tell the "illegal alien" community what this lawmaker thinks of them.
Better yet, make being here illegal a felony. Then let the people make citizen's arrests.
There are some downsides to that, but it's the only way I see of ridding our society of these leaches.
We've seen far too many of them in far too little time.
Oh they're insured. You insure them. We carry uninsured motorist insurance so they don't have to carry insurance.
The U.S. citizen has no idea how many ways his funds are beind disbursed to illegal immigrants.
Issue them a permit to drive straight back to Mexico.
OMG; the bleeding heart liberal 'give the illegals driver's licenses mentality' has spread to NJ? Last I heard, this disease was contained in California. I guess it's difficult to keep noxious notions down.
ping
----Honestly! You said it all. I just can't figure out why they are being so friggin ignorant (stupid politicians ).
Why not throw in a reward bounty? Of course, there would probably be a few gun fights, knife fights, etc., but they wouldn't involve innocents, other than the bounty seekers of course.
All that they need to get when they go up to apply for their driver's license is a pair of handcuffs and a one-way ticket back to Mexico.
And since these politicians were in the same room with many who are illegal aliens, why weren't the illegal aliens taken into custody?
Illegal immigration is a federal offense. Somebody just ~forgot~ to make a telephone call, I guess.
They don't need drivers' licenses, they need deportation.
Actually, illegal immigration is a felony.
Which is what I'd intended to write, previous (^^).
and i bet nj insurance will go up even higher. this is just plain stupid. will we now have to have mexican translaters who can get them through the drivers test too? if they cant do everything the legal way then they shouldnt have any rights and get deported back to mexico asap
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