http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... =Opinion02

Article published Aug 26, 2006
'Undocumented driver' issue is states' to solve

The minority population is growing in 49 states -- everywhere except West Virginia -- largely because of an influx of immigrants. Indiana has one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the country.

Nationally, immigrants went from 11.1 percent of the population in 2000 to 12.4 percent last year. In Indiana, 4 percent (about 240,000) of residents are foreign-born. Compare that to 3.1 percent in 2000. The increase is about 33 percent. The highest concentrations of foreign-born residents are in college towns, with 11.1 percent in Bloomington and 9.4 percent in South Bend.

Many of these newcomers are not legally in residence. The federal government has done little to address the problem. That has left states to manage as best they can with the consequences of population change.

One of those consequences is the failure of many illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses and carry the liability insurance that state law requires. Illegal immigrants don't have the documentation necessary to qualify for a license.

Last session, the Indiana General Assembly considered but failed to enact a proposal that would have given undocumented residents driver permits if they passed an exam and obtained insurance.Such permits could not be used to help people gain legal status in the United States. Rather, they would assure that the holders know the rules of the road, can read traffic signs and could pay for any harm they might do to others.

The proposal was intended to address a state safety problem. Unfortunately, it was construed by some as condoning people being in the United States illegally.

We hope that legislators are paying attention to Indiana's growing immigrant population, and that they're thinking realistically about what it means. Illegal immigration is a national issue. Driving regulations are a state issue. One way the state legislature could address the problem of unlicensed, uninsured drivers is by working to see that there is a driver qualification process available to everyone.