This is the kind of thing that embarrasses me as a liberal

[Rabrrrrrr]

I am listening to NPR and they just had a story of a movement in California - that has apparently been going for three years - to offer drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

That's right - illegal immigrants. Getting legal, valid drivers licenses. In California.

Now, if they were offering the licenses as the carrots to help identify and deal with the illegal immigrants: "Hi, I'm here illegally, and I'd like a license" "Great - off you go!" - I would go with it.

The people in favor of this legislation say it will help reduce accidents. :wtf: :shrug: :eyesroll:

But this is just ridiculous, and one more piece of fodder for the republican nutjob wing of America to go "See! See what those stupid liberals are up to?"


What's next? Giving them passports? Social security? The right to vote?

Unless I'm missing something important here, in which case, please explain it to me. I'm fully willing, on this point, to concede I don't have full knowledge of the "goodness" of the ida of offering drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

[NewHampshireDem]

1. I think the point is that they are going to drive anyway ...

So issuing licenses at least *tries* to ensure that they have been tested, etc.

I'm not necessarily advocating that position, just putting forth the argument I've heard. I don't really know where I stand on it :shrug:

[Deja Q]

2. I agree. Once they pass the test and become legal,

then give them a drivers' license and the other benefits of living here. (after passing the tests, et al!)

Until then, give them a "illegal alien" ID card. :D

[madrchsod]

3. this issue

really hasn`t hurt the liberals with the right wing because now that their hero is the govenator, he would have to sign the bill..much like the Indians`s casinos they were against but are going to get..

[JanMichael]

4. What does it hurt to give them a DL?

Is there something I am missing? Why not make it easier for these people to be mobile so they can work on getting their other documentation more easily.

What's so special or exclusive about the ability to operate a motor vehicle or have your picture on a piece of plastic?

Stephanie

[slackmaster]

7. The bill on Schwarzenegger's desk would reduce the value of the license

As a form of identification.

Under present law the documentation you have to provide to get a California Driver License or state ID card (for non-driver) can only be possessed by legal residents. See http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#BDLP for a complete list of what documentation is currently accepted. A person in the country illegally or a non-resident alien just visiting can't get any of those items legally, and therefore cannot get a driver's license.

I started a new job in February. Because I work for a subsidiary of a major Canadian defense conglomerate and deal with a lot of valuable data I had to pass a background check, take a drug test, sign the biggest non-disclosure agreement I've ever seen, and present proof that I am eligible to work legally in the USA. The company accepted my California Driver License as adequate proof of the latter. I brought my US Passport to show them, but they declined to see it. Under the proposed legislation a California Driver License would no longer be useful for that purpose.

There have been several heated discussions in the J/PS forum about this as well - Under the proposed bill it would become trivially easy for an illegal alien to buy a gun in California. Right now the lack of a driver's license prevents them from doing that.

I'd have no problem with a bill to give driver's license to illegal aliens and non-residents as long as it had some kind of marking that clearly distinguished it from licenses issued to legal residents. We could kill two birds with one stone by marking licenses issued to convicted felons in a similar manner, to help prevent them from buying guns.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. I could go with the special marking idea

Though for the former felon, much as I like the idea, I don't like it - once they served their time, they served it. Shouldn't be a marker for it. But on the other hand, even once they served their time, they still have some rights they don't get - to whit, voting, gun ownership.

If they are here illegally, they should be either sent home, or given resident alilen status, or whatever status they get for being in process to be a citizen.

The idea of knowing they are here illegally, but doing nothing to them, seems pretty dumb to me. Change their status, or change their geography.

I think that's why I so am against the idea of giving them licenses.

And also, as you say, it makes licenses no longer a valid form of ID.

[blondeatlast]

8. I live in Arizona, very familiar. They should have DL's; insurance is

impossible without them.

Consequently, Arizona has one of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation.

If you are in an accident with an unocumented alien, you are out of luck.

While I'm not exactly in favor of "illegal immigration," I hardly see it as the evil it's made out to be.

They aren't criminals (they are terrified of the police, for one thing), they do contribute tax money (lots more than US expatriates in Mexico do to the Mexican economy as a percentage of income), and they DON'T use social services--again they are afraid of being returned. This is a HUGE myth; yes, it happens, but not nearly on the scale it's rumored to happen.

Until Mexico can get its economic act together, which ought not to be so hard with the enormous influx of US factories there, let them come. We should be pressuring Mexico to work the problem out, but we don't because of the enormous influence the big automakers in Mexico have.

[demnan]

5. They are here - by the millons

they aren't going away. We might as well acknowledge that and give them the same rights as everyone else, and make Spanish the official second language. They are home owners and their children fill our school system so the right to drive isn't such a big thing. They need jobs so they can pay taxes.

We have porous borders with our southern neighbors.

[trumad]

6. Didn't Bush propose giving them Legal status anyway?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

9. Business loves illegals too.

They can pay them less and use them to break unions.

It's happening just like that around here.