Thread: License checks fueling debate

http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=6645

Publish Date: 3/13/2006

License checks fueling debate
Some say DMV is targeting Hispanics

By Ben Ready
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — A state effort to reconcile discrepancies between driver’s license information and Social Security information already has led to the cancellation of 2,000 Colorado licenses.

Tens of thousands more Coloradans won’t be able to renew their licenses until they fix their records.

Over the past two years and in batches, the DMV has run more than 4 million state licenses in its database against Social Security Administration data. In January, the DMV started the enforcement stage, sending multiple warning letters to 53,000 state residents.


While Department of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue officials maintain that the enforcement is meant to “clean up databases” and prevent identity theft, local Hispanic advocacy leaders believe the move is no more than a punitive measure to make life difficult for undocumented immigrants.

“Where is it helping the people of Colorado to have people driving without driver’s licenses?” said Rusty Denham, a caseworker for Centro Amistad in Boulder. “It’s crazy to pretend. It’s about people who have the unrealistic expectation that, by being mean, they’ll make people go back to Mexico.”

In the past two months, Denham and others at Centro Amistad have translated and explained the DMV letters to dozens of immigrants. El Comité, a Longmont-based Hispanic advocacy organization, also has handled numerous requests for advice from residents confused by the letters.

The DMV mailed out two kinds of letters. Fifty thousand people — those whose names or birthdays on their licenses didn’t match their Social Security information — were tagged as “Code 5” and told that if they don’t clear up the problem, they won’t be able to renew their license once it expires.

The “more serious” cases were classified as “Code 2.” Three thousand residents — those who provided “impossible” Social Security numbers that have never been issued — were told in letters they had 30 days to fix their problems or their licenses would be canceled.

Some 2,000 Coloradans have missed the deadline for fixing problems cited by the DMV and are now driving on invalid licenses.

M. Michael Cooke — director of the Colorado Department of Revenue, which controls the DMV — said a vast majority of the 53,000 cases come from typing errors, name changes and other easy-to-fix clerical mistakes.

“This is not about immigration issues only,” Cooke said, “but about the validity of these documents.”

In most cases, those who still need to clear their records have to bring a state-certified birth certificate, their Social Security card or another document that establishes legal residency, and a driver’s license to a DMV licensing office.

“Though it’s an inconvenience for citizens to correct (their licenses or Social Security information), it will benefit them in the end when it comes to identity security,” Cooke said.

But what will happen to the 2,000 people who’ve lost their licenses or the thousands more who won’t likely be able to renew their current licenses?

AAA Foundation researchers say it’s hard to know how many unlicensed drivers are on the roads, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, unlicensed drivers are almost five times more likely to be in a fatal crash.

“This action will only make Colorado roads less safe,” said Laurel Herndon, director of the Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County. She added that undocumented immigrants denied valid driver’s licenses will likely resort to using fake IDs, making life harder on police.

“The DMV is wasting state time and resources to punish (undocumented) people who are trying to support their families,” Herndon said, “and they’re putting people on the road at greater risk, in addition to wasting our money.”

But Cooke says that since the enactment of a 2002 state law, the DMV has issued licenses only to people who can prove lawful presence in the country. How the state should handle the thousands of illegal immigrants who drive without licenses is an issue for law enforcement, she said.

Denham said that though the computers that generated the 53,000 letters couldn’t discriminate against Hispanics, the state employees who programmed those computers may have.

“It is disproportionately affecting Latinos and people from other countries because our bureaucrats don’t know what to do with names from other countries,” Denham said.

A Hispanic name like Maria Elena Garcia de Gomez, for example, wouldn’t fit into the three fields for first, middle and last names in the DMV’s programs, Denham said. One government employee changes the name one way when entering it into a database, another employee at a different agency changes it another way, and the resident is inconvenienced at best, or worse, runs the risk of losing her license if she can’t produce her original birth certificate, Denham said.

“In my view, it’s something that’s institutional racism,” Denham said. “Because we’re not familiar with that, we say, ‘Who cares? It’s a Spanish name.’”

Cooke said the Department of Revenue, not state lawmakers, came up with the idea to cross-check the databases, but she said claims of discrimination are ridiculous.

“I don’t see that there is any potential for targeting at all,” Cooke said. “It is our job to issue these documents to make sure (drivers) are competent, of age and legally present. Once they meet those requirements, we issue. If there is an individual driving without it, that’s unlawful.”

Ben Ready can be reached at 303-684-5326, or by e-mail at bready@times-call.com.

“This action will only make Colorado roads less safe,” said Laurel Herndon, director of the Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County. She added that undocumented immigrants denied valid driver’s licenses will likely resort to using fake IDs, making life harder on police.

Notice how they frequently resort to thinly veiled threats. Another example of what fine, upstanding people they are.

“Where is it helping the people of Colorado to have people driving without driver’s licenses?” said Rusty Denham, a caseworker for Centro Amistad in Boulder. “It’s crazy to pretend. It’s about people who have the unrealistic expectation that, by being mean, they’ll make people go back to Mexico.”

O...anyone anywhere that wants to do anything that might protect Americans is 'mean'...just plain ol' MEAN. What a childish remark.!!
If I thought that being 'mean' would get those SOB's to go back to Mexico I would give lessons in 'mean'.

RR