Thread: Immigrant Laid Off After She Was Unable to Renew Va. License

Immigrant laid off after she was unable to renew her Virginia driver’s license:

By Shankar Vedantam

Friday, April 15, 1:53 PM

Hirut Bekele had never heard of Carlos Martinelly-Montano, the undocumented Bolivian immigrant charged with killing a nun in a drunken-driving accident in August.

But last month, their worlds collided when Bekele, an EthioÂ*pian woman living in Reston, tried to get her driver’s license renewed in Virginia.

As she had done for years, Bekele, 32, took her work permit, which she is legally allowed to renew each year, to the Department of Motor Vehicles. In previous years, the DMV would issue her a new license based on the work permit. But last month, it said no.

Figuring there was some mistake, Bekele visited multiple DMVs in Centreville and elsewhere in Fairfax to no avail. And that is how she learned that Virginia had stopped issuing driver’s licenses to immigrants who have only work permits — a decision sparked by the arrest of Martinelly-Montano, who had a valid work permit even though he was in deportation proceedings.

When Bekele, a tollbooth operator who worked all over Northern Virginia for a contract company, told her employer she no longer had a valid driver’s license, she got laid off. Bekele said her employer needed her to be able to drive because she had to carry money to and from tollbooths, and it would not be safe to use public transportation. Also, she said, she sometimes had to travel to several tollbooths in a day to relieve other operators.

Bekele, a single parent with a 3-year-old daughter, said she is about a month away from being homeless. She said she cannot understand how the federal government can say she is legally allowed to work in the country while the state of Virginia effectively makes it impossible for her to work.

“I have a work permit from the government,â€

[quote]“We believe that the decision to not accept the I-766 Employment Authorization Document is in the best interest of Virginia’s citizens,â€

Thats what needs to happen all over the U.S. I dont feel sorry for her or her child there are alot of single americans that cant find a job,but there is one opening there may if lucky an american can get that job.You wait and see if some group dont step in and help her out and get her job back or maybe even a better one.Thats whats wrong now to many working green cards and illegals clean that sh*t up and real americans can find jobs,but its all about greed employers hire cheap labor pay them less and charges the consumer higher prices so he can pocket more GREED GREED GREED.

Originally Posted by duckman

Thats what needs to happen all over the U.S. I dont feel sorry for her or her child there are alot of single americans that cant find a job,but there is one opening there may if lucky an american can get that job.You wait and see if some group dont step in and help her out and get her job back or maybe even a better one.Thats whats wrong now to many working green cards and illegals clean that sh*t up and real americans can find jobs,but its all about greed employers hire cheap labor pay them less and charges the consumer higher prices so he can pocket more GREED GREED GREED.

Bekele can relocate to Utah, no driver's licences for undocumented aliens in Virginia.

But Bekele said she cannot afford to move because she is heavily dependent on a nonprofit group called Reston Interfaith that helps her with her rent and child care.

Hummm...

I'd like to know how she got a job as a toll collector. You essentially have to have political connections to land one of these jobs. How does someone with no legal status get a plum job? Don't tell me it's a job Americans won't do.

Originally Posted by Pisces_2010

Originally Posted by duckman

Thats what needs to happen all over the U.S. I dont feel sorry for her or her child there are alot of single americans that cant find a job,but there is one opening there may if lucky an american can get that job.You wait and see if some group dont step in and help her out and get her job back or maybe even a better one.Thats whats wrong now to many working green cards and illegals clean that sh*t up and real americans can find jobs,but its all about greed employers hire cheap labor pay them less and charges the consumer higher prices so he can pocket more GREED GREED GREED.

Bekele can relocate to Utah, no driver's licences for undocumented aliens in Virginia.

Actually, she should relocate back to ETHIOPIA since she can't seem to make ends meet here even with her plum toll booth operator job!

Originally Posted by florgal

Originally Posted by Pisces_2010

Originally Posted by duckman

Thats what needs to happen all over the U.S. I dont feel sorry for her or her child there are alot of single americans that cant find a job,but there is one opening there may if lucky an american can get that job.You wait and see if some group dont step in and help her out and get her job back or maybe even a better one.Thats whats wrong now to many working green cards and illegals clean that sh*t up and real americans can find jobs,but its all about greed employers hire cheap labor pay them less and charges the consumer higher prices so he can pocket more GREED GREED GREED.

Bekele can relocate to Utah, no driver's licences for undocumented aliens in Virginia.

Actually, she should relocate back to ETHIOPIA since she can't seem to make ends meet here even with her plum toll booth operator job!

That is a much better option!

Miguelina i know here in Kentucky you have to be an legal citizen to get a plummers license my freind is a plummer and thats what he told me.There are alot of them using them as helpers because they work cheap.My freind dont use them he cant stand being around them.