Maryland criticized for denying licenses to Illegals
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From The Washington Times. Headline is linked.
Maryland criticized for denying licenses to illegal aliens
By S.A. Miller
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ANNAPOLIS -- An immigration rights group says the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is violating state law by denying driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
"The MVA has absolutely no right to ask for people's Social Security number or immigration status to get a driver's license," said Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA of Maryland Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group for Hispanic immigrants that has staged protests at MVA offices.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said the agency requires documentation -- including a Social Security number -- to verify a person's identity, not the person's immigration status. He said the check is performed in accordance with state and federal laws.
"No one is targeted," Mr. Flanagan said. "We have evaluated the law very carefully, and we have a duty to make sure when someone applies for a driver's license that their identity is ascertained correctly."
The group has demonstrated in front of the MVA office in Beltsville and issued a list of demands, including an end to the so-called immigration screenings and increased hiring of bilingual MVA workers to serve customers who do not speak English.
Similar protests were conducted in other states last week by other immigration rights groups to promote policies such as giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
Still, drivers waiting to get licenses yesterday at the MVA office in Annapolis supported a check of Social Security numbers and immigration papers.
"You shouldn't have a problem with it if you have nothing to hide," said Loretta L. Brenner, a 30-year-old homemaker from Deale who was getting a duplicate driver's license.
...
Maryland law does not bar illegal aliens from receiving driver's licenses, and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has killed legislation to change that over the past several years.
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, never publicly has taken a position on driver's licenses for illegal aliens but has supported establishing a task force to study the issue. The legislature has not passed a bill authorizing such a study.
More than 20 states have laws prohibiting illegal aliens from obtaining driver's licenses. Virginia recently enacted such restrictions in response to public outrage that its lax security enabled the September 11, 2001, hijackers to obtain state IDs.
To obtain a Maryland driver's license, an applicant must show proof of identity, age and residence in the state. Proof of identity can be a birth certificate, court change-of-name order, valid foreign passport with visa or valid immigration documents.
Applicants also must produce a primary source of identification or two secondary sources of identification.
A primary source would be a Social Security card, an out-of-state driver's license, an out-of-country driver's license or a green card. Secondary sources include a Selective Service card, handgun permit, voter registration card, utility bill or marriage license, according to state law.
... more at linked article
emphasis added EXTRA EMPHASIS ADDED
As usual, the poor trampled upon minority that feels it is obligated to protect the rights of people that aren't respecting the rights of those that make and obey the laws of this country -- including immigration laws -- is upset because they feel that someone is being targetted.
Kudos to the administrators that have done their homework in establishing and apparently enforcing these policies. Where anyone feels they have a right to obtain a license without showing proper documentation is beyond me.
I feel the same way about voting, which I think should be held to an even higher standard of proof of identification so that everyone can be assured that they got their one-man (or woman) vote, rather than worrying that someone else is taking advantage of lax voting place rules to vote in multiple locations at multiple times.
Identification in this country is vitally important to our national security, and we can not, NO!! we MUST NOT!! allow our compassion for others to wash away common sense in requiring proof of identification before we give out even more identifying materials that may be used by people that had no right to the documents to begin with.
Maryland criticized for denying licenses to illegal aliens
By S.A. Miller
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ANNAPOLIS -- An immigration rights group says the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is violating state law by denying driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
"The MVA has absolutely no right to ask for people's Social Security number or immigration status to get a driver's license," said Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA of Maryland Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group for Hispanic immigrants that has staged protests at MVA offices.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said the agency requires documentation -- including a Social Security number -- to verify a person's identity, not the person's immigration status. He said the check is performed in accordance with state and federal laws.
"No one is targeted," Mr. Flanagan said. "We have evaluated the law very carefully, and we have a duty to make sure when someone applies for a driver's license that their identity is ascertained correctly."
The group has demonstrated in front of the MVA office in Beltsville and issued a list of demands, including an end to the so-called immigration screenings and increased hiring of bilingual MVA workers to serve customers who do not speak English.
Similar protests were conducted in other states last week by other immigration rights groups to promote policies such as giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
Still, drivers waiting to get licenses yesterday at the MVA office in Annapolis supported a check of Social Security numbers and immigration papers.
"You shouldn't have a problem with it if you have nothing to hide," said Loretta L. Brenner, a 30-year-old homemaker from Deale who was getting a duplicate driver's license.
...
Maryland law does not bar illegal aliens from receiving driver's licenses, and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has killed legislation to change that over the past several years.
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, never publicly has taken a position on driver's licenses for illegal aliens but has supported establishing a task force to study the issue. The legislature has not passed a bill authorizing such a study.
More than 20 states have laws prohibiting illegal aliens from obtaining driver's licenses. Virginia recently enacted such restrictions in response to public outrage that its lax security enabled the September 11, 2001, hijackers to obtain state IDs.
To obtain a Maryland driver's license, an applicant must show proof of identity, age and residence in the state. Proof of identity can be a birth certificate, court change-of-name order, valid foreign passport with visa or valid immigration documents.
Applicants also must produce a primary source of identification or two secondary sources of identification.
A primary source would be a Social Security card, an out-of-state driver's license, an out-of-country driver's license or a green card. Secondary sources include a Selective Service card, handgun permit, voter registration card, utility bill or marriage license, according to state law.
... more at linked article
emphasis added EXTRA EMPHASIS ADDED
As usual, the poor trampled upon minority that feels it is obligated to protect the rights of people that aren't respecting the rights of those that make and obey the laws of this country -- including immigration laws -- is upset because they feel that someone is being targetted.
Kudos to the administrators that have done their homework in establishing and apparently enforcing these policies. Where anyone feels they have a right to obtain a license without showing proper documentation is beyond me.
I feel the same way about voting, which I think should be held to an even higher standard of proof of identification so that everyone can be assured that they got their one-man (or woman) vote, rather than worrying that someone else is taking advantage of lax voting place rules to vote in multiple locations at multiple times.
Identification in this country is vitally important to our national security, and we can not, NO!! we MUST NOT!! allow our compassion for others to wash away common sense in requiring proof of identification before we give out even more identifying materials that may be used by people that had no right to the documents to begin with.
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