Life Without a License Illegal immigrants want to be legal drivers

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | February 10, 2002 | Tyche Hendricks

[sarcasm]

Each weekday morning, Miguel B. leaves his Richmond home and drives his 6-year-old son to school before heading to work in San Leandro. It's a familiar routine for working parents everywhere, but for Miguel the daily drive has become nerve-wracking: He is an undocumented immigrant who no longer has a driver's license.

[sarcasm]

ping

[DLfromthedesert]

With the "Motor Voter " Law in effect, when they get their licenses, they can also get a Voter ID.

[Brownie74]

I guess Miguel B. doesn't want his last named used. Why didn't the San Francisco Chronicle turn this character over to INS?

[sarcasm]

The INS is not interested in detaining illegal aliens.

[LibertyThug]

"This would increase the likelihood that they'll get insurance and register the car,"
and take the vehicle for a smog test, Galaviz said. "If the DMV has them on record,
they can track them down and make sure those things happen."

Wait a minute, they don't care about entering the country illegally, why would they care about this?

[buccaneer81]

As someone who went through a license suspension many years ago when I was young and foolish, I can state with certainty: there is no right to drive in this country.

[mrfixit514]

Is it so hard to imagine that we should just enforce the laws and put them in jail or deport them if they drive? The attitude of most liberals is "Well we can't stop them so lets just enable them." BS. Kick their a**es out of the country!

[sarcasm]

It would be interesting to find out the stance of the Mexican government on the "right" to drive in Mexico.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Nashville radio talk-show host Phil Valentine called the INS and told them hundreds of illegal aliens were lining up for Tennessee driver licenses under the state's new, liberal license law. The INS person he talked to said, "I know but we don't want to cause an unpleasant scene by arriving to round them up."

[raybbr]

Why don't we just make it easy as possible for anyone but a lawful American citizen to do anything is this country. I am getting so frelling tired of politicians doing more for lawbreakers than those who obey the law.

There are times when I struggle to avoid stealing from stores just because I feel left out of the crowd. Why shouldn't I just do what I feel like?

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sabertooth]

Colorado state Sen. Ron Tupa, who introduced a driver's license bill in January, thinks it's important to be pragmatic. "What I'm trying to deal with is the reality of the fact that these individuals are here," Tupa said. "They're working here, and they're driving here."

Could it possibly cross his mind to do his job?

How about dealing with the malfeasance that has kept the illegals from being deported... so far.

[boomop1]

Illegal has no meaning to liberals but then again it is pro-choice, right to privacy or some other contrived alleged right.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

These liberals are real smart. The next thing they'll do is go into the inner cities and hand out free needles to the heroin addicts. Oh wait, they're already doing that. Let's finance their bongs and crack pipes with tax dollars, too. Why not? The liberals have decided that enforcing current laws is too hard, so let's just enable their bad behavior. Morons.

[LibertyThug]

I'm really wondering why this is allowed. It isn't just that, it is the overcrowding in our public schools
(where we are not even allowed to ask for birth certificates), it is the over-taxing of our goverment
programs and medical facilities. Who is behind this, and why does Bush seem to be going along with it?

[kassie]

Just go to San Antonio and see how may "legals" don't have car insurance...illegals won't be able to afford it. This is so ridiculous. I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone.

[SpookBrat]

Angry bump. Grrrrrrrr...

[bam]

and why does Bush seem to be going along with it?

I wish I knew, but it seems that the Republicans won't do anything about it because they don't want to offend the the "immigrant" voting block. The Democrats won't do anything about it because they don't want to offend the "immigrant" voting block. Kind of reminds me of one of those spoiled kids who plays one parent against the other -- "Mommy if you won't give me what I want, then I will go ask daddy and he will give it to me and then I will like daddy more than I like you". Dysfunctional family, dysfunctional country. I imagine Tyson/IBP and others have contributions spread out in the Enron fashion, too.

[spanky_mcfarland]

"I want to be on the right side of the law."

This is rich coming from an illegal alien.

[just deserts]

At least three states -- Utah, North Carolina and Tennessee -- do not require driver's license applicants to prove they are in the country legally. Instead, applicants are allowed to confirm their identity through means other than a Social Security number, which illegal immigrants cannot get.

My job takes me through NY, NJ and CT on a daily basis and now I know why I see so many license plates from UT, NC and TN. The majority I see are from North Carolina. These cars are parked in driveways and on the streets all hours of the day and night. Illegals all over the east coast must be flocking to North Carolina in droves to get a license.

It is impossible not to notice that most of the drivers of these vehicles look like they are Mexican. Also in CT many illegal Brazilians are driving with North Carolina plates so it's not just Mexican illegals getting the licenses and registrations.

Before the PC crowd with their twisted logic cries racial profiling, I prefer to think of it as being aware of your surroundings and applying common sense.

[just deserts]

Not in NC any more thank god. You can actually go to the DL office and not have huge lines of non-enlglish speaking parasites taking five hours to get your DL renewed.

This is good news. Do you know when this changed? I see so many cars with NC plates here in NY, NJ and CT I was beginning to wonder what state I was in.

[BJungNan]

I don't know about the issuing of licenses to illegal immigrants or not but it sure would be better if the DMV required proof of insurance when registering a car.

I just registered one and could not beleive they did not ask for proof of insurance. Financial responsiblity is certainly something that should be insisted upon, even if citizenship is not.

[DH]

"This would increase the likelihood that they'll get insurance and register the car,"
and take the vehicle for a smog test, Galaviz said. "If the DMV has them on record,
they can track them down and make sure those things happen."

No, that's wrong!

They will get the standard South Texas insurance package.  The South Texas insurance package is whereby they purchase insurance on a monthly payment schedule and only make one payment and then let the policy lapse.  Meanwhile, they hold an insurance certificate that shows coverage for a period of six months.  During this six month period they are able to obtain the yearly requirements of license plates and vehicle inspections that pend upon proof of insurance.

Here in the Republic of TEXICO, in the previously American city of Alice, english is the second language and if you are in an automobile accident don't expect the other driver to have insurance.

I used to love it when Ronald Regan used to ask "is you life better now than it was before?"  Sadly, here in the Mexicanized portion of TEXICO is not.

As soon an anyone (regardless as to their illegial origns) is identified as an illegal THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE ARRESTED and actions be taken within days to deport them.

[bam]

would allow immigrants in the process of applying for legal residency

Other than the fact that it should probably read "illegal aliens" rather than "immigrants", what does that mean? Can someone come here illegally, and then while here apply to come legally? Or does it mean someone that applied to come here, but didn't wait for the approval? Those who are here legally, with a work visa, tourist visa, green card, or whatever, can get driver's licenses, right? If its one of the first two, then isn't that like saying robbing a bank is okay if you turn around and deposit the money back into the bank?

"It's a public safety matter that they don't endanger you or I or little Jimmy crossing the street."

Wouldn't deportation do that as well plus protect little Jimmy from a lot more things?

said Nicole Mahrt of the American Insurance Association. "We really support the concept of helping people so that they can get auto insurance."

They would probably support the concept of anybody getting a pilot license too, if they could make a buck.

Colorado state Sen. Ron Tupa, who introduced a driver's license bill in January, thinks it's important to be pragmatic. "What I'm trying to deal with is the reality of the fact that these individuals are here," Tupa said. "They're working here, and they're driving here."

Unfortunately, I'm seeing this rationale used more and more to justify giving everything away. We might as well be saying, and some are, "Well they all want to come here and are going to do it anyway, so we may as well just do away with the borders". So, really the only way to reduce or stop immigration is to ignore it until this country is at least equally as bad as the worst country in the world so that nobody would even want to come here.

[Congressman Billybob]

Perhaps the numbskull who introduced this bill in California hasn't been reading the papers lately. For his benefit, a brief update. A minor event occurred in New York on 9/11. A few people got slightly injured. Those responsible were mostly illegal aliens, and most had acquired illegal US drivers lincenses as a base for other ID and papers that helped them carry out their attack.

Oh, Mr. Assemblyman, I almost forgot. The US went to war over this monor event. And one purpose of that war is to prevent other such minor events.

Given all that, which you apparently missed, do you REALLY think it is a god idea to HELP other illegal aliens acquire REAL drivers' license? Are you really that much of a brass-plated, card-carrying, honest-to-God, flaming MORON?

Love and kisses, and have a nce day,

Your former constiuent,

Congressman Billybob

Phil & Billybob in the mornings.

[Travis McGee]

Question to the federal government: what other laws "don't really count" and may be safely ignored?

[Republic of Texas]

" Life Without a License Illegal immigrants want to be legal drivers "

I want to be a VP at Microsoft. I'm not really qualified, never done anything in the field, but if I were, think how much better my self esteem would be. There oughta be a law...

(/sarcasm for the sarcasm impaired)

[SCalGal]

The standard South Texas Insurance Package is in effect in California, too. Pay for one month, get a card that says they're insured for six months, let the policy lapse, go hit someone who has insurance, then sue.

[dennisw]

Proposed legislation by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, would allow immigrants in the process of applying for legal residency to get a California driver's license. Cedillo estimates the measure would affect 1 million people.

"The purpose is to be sure that as many people as possible be trained and tested to operate safely on California roads," said Cedillo's legislative director, David Galaviz. "It's a public safety matter that they don't endanger you or I or little Jimmy crossing the street."

 

NO......  This is a lie. The purpose is to legalize these illegal aliens. Screw  'em. Let them look over their shoulder and worry about INS etc. Why should life be made easier for these gate crashers?

[dennisw]

Cedillo is a former member of MEChA.

_________________

It's the scourge of MEChA

[Nea Wood]

Having had two vehicles and one leg smashed by these illegal drivers I have little sympathy for their plight. Lord knows they had NONE for mine.

I live in LA. I had the same experience, and so have many other people I know. Sympathy? None of us got any from the illegals who hit us, (running red lights, driving drunk, etc.) In my case, the illegal who hit me seemed very annoyed at the inconvenience of it all and never even asked me if I was okay. This is a RAMPANT problem; almost everybody I know has had at least one such experience! The answer is not to "let them have licenses because they're going to drive anyway." The answer is ARREST 'em, DEPORT 'em, take away the incentives for them to come here in the first place! Doesn't the safety of American citizens and legal residents matter at all?

[4Freedom]

We won't begin to be able to stop illegal immigration until the borders are militarized.

Make sure everyone opts for uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage. Screw the illegals. If they wreck their cars, they're the ones that can't afford to get them fixed.

Giving illegals a license is no guarantee that they'll buy insurance. This insurance argument is just a ploy to get them a license so they can vote in our next Presidential elections.

[lowbridge]

Nashville radio talk-show host Phil Valentine called the INS and told them hundreds of illegal aliens were lining up for Tennessee driver licenses under the state's new, liberal license law. The INS person he talked to said, "I know but we don't want to cause an unpleasant scene by arriving to round them up."

But of course, causing an unpleasant scene to round up Elian didn't bother them.

And hey, if some illegal alien terrorist wants to get their drivers licenses, that's no skin off their nose.

[Marine Inspector]

"It's a public safety matter that they don't endanger you or I or little Jimmy crossing the street."

It's a public safety matter, that these people are in the United States.

[William Terrell]

"I know people who've been stopped for minor violations and have lost their cars, or who've been put in jail because they don't have identification."

Well, no, son, you know people who sneak into the country illegally and try to tap the benefits of citizenship without complying with the process who have been put in jail and lost their cars for minor infractions.

[WRhine]

Having had two vehicles and one leg smashed by these illegal drivers I have little sympathy for their plight. Lord knows they had NONE for mine.

That is another outrageous aspect of legalizing the criminality of letting illegal aliens drive; they rarely buy car insurance. Even if they have the money most illegals don't buy insurance anyway. Our politicians would rather aid and abet illegal aliens in being a hazard on the road than protect the law-abiding citizens by enforcing THE LAW. Our governments from the federal level on down have two systems of applying the laws of the land. One applies to immigrants illegal or otherwise, the other for citizens. Guess which group has greater freedoms under the law? It seems that our government has forgotten who its masters are.

[timestax]

This is just flat out sickening!!

[PatrioticAmerican]

To be legal drivers they must first be legal residents. Giving a license to travel is aiding and abetting a felon. Any law that provides comfort to a felon should be unconstitutional in itself. Maybe we should file suit should this law ever pass.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Those politicians who support this measure should be held for subversive activities against the united states. They are supporting an invasion of this country and a takeover by illegals.

[WRhine]

This is just flat out sickening!!

It is sickening in every possible way. It is more than a pervasive scandal at every level of government that is being perpetrated against the citizens of America; it is in reality HIGH TREASON. Americans are in fact being sold out by OUR government to law breaking illegal aliens, the criminal enterprises that employ them and those who have a vested interest in illegal immigration. Our government responds to those interests, not the American people. I call this Treason.

[WRhine]

Those politicians who support this measure should be held for subversive activities against the united states. They are supporting an invasion of this country and a takeover by illegals.

You nailed it. The spotlight has to put on these Traitors to the U.S.A.

[FITZ]

letting illegal aliens drive; they rarely buy car insurance. Even if they have the money most illegals don't buy insurance anyway.

Obviously they have the money to send $8 billion to Mexico and buy beer and lottery tickets. They won't buy insurance though. I know many people who've had accidents with illegals and never one who bothered to have auto insurance.

[Arnold Bronstein]

I, like the 80 to 90% majority of Americans, think we need to get back control of our national borders and most us would like to see illegal aliens return to their home countries. A job that an American "does not want" is really a job that a American can not live off of because the wage scale has been driven down by the invasion of third world illegal laborers. With all this said why is it that the news media does not or refuses to understand this? Do they keep printing these article hoping that we will change our minds? To say an illegal alien has a right to a drivers license and any kind kind of legal status "because he is here", makes as good a rational excuse as a bank robber saying he robs banks "because that is where the money is".