Many Oppose Licenses For Undocumented (Illegals) Poll Shows

http://www.elpasotimes.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /1001/NEWS

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Many oppose licenses for undocumented, poll shows
Louie Gilot
El Paso Times

El Pasoans, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, largely favor allowing some undocumented immigrants to work and live legally in the United States, but strongly oppose giving them driver's licenses.

An El Paso Times/KVIA-ABC 7 poll indicates that 59 percent of the 300 registered voters interviewed in April favored the creation of a work program for undocumented immigrants. But 65 percent of the same voters said they opposed giving undocumented immigrants driver's licenses, a much-debated issue for years.

Jim Keene, a 48-year-old retail store designer who lives on the West Side, sees a benefit to allowing undocumented immigrants to have licenses.

"We might be able to control their driving habits better," said Keene, who was interviewed separately from the survey.

Only 29 percent felt as Keene did, and 6 percent were unsure.

Last week, Congress passed the Real ID Act, which requires states to verify that people who apply for driver's licenses are in the country legally.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the lead author of the bill, said the law was "vital to preventing foreign terrorists from hiding in plain sight."

The provision was folded into an emergency military spending bill, which earmarks $82 billion for the war in Iraq. It also makes it easier to override environmental laws to build a barrier along the Mexican border in California and harder for immigrants to gain amnesty.

However, President Bush continues to talk about the possibility of allowing undocumented immigrants to work in the United States for a short period, after which they would have to go back to their countries.

El Pasoans favored such a program, according to the poll.

"They've already been working here, so why not? They've been contributing to society," said Antonio Andrade, a 34-year-old radio producer who lives in far East El Paso. "But they'd have to be law-abiding."

A different poll conducted earlier this year by the the Border Network for Human Rights found that migrants who live in the El Paso area were interested in such a program only if it would lead to a legalization of their status, which the proposal does not include.

"I think the government should open avenues to become documented. (The migrants) should be able to work toward becoming documented," said Valentin Andrade, a 28-year-old filmmaker who lives in Central El Paso.

In the poll, the answers to the two immigration questions were similar among Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters. Sixty-one percent of Hispanics and 72 percent of non-Hispanics disapproved of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, and 64 percent of Hispanics and 50 percent of non-Hispanics favored a work program. The margin of error was plus or minus 6 percentage points.

An estimated 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States.

Louie Gilot may be reached at lgilot@elpasotimes.com, 546-6131.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

I realize thousands of illegals in NC get driving licenses. How illegals get them is beyond me especially when they cannot speak English. At one time (and maybe it is still true) there were Spanish/English interpreters in the NC Highway Patrol offices where driving licenses are issued. Now if I was in law enforcement and someone came into the office who could not speak English looking for a license, a red flag would go up in my mind. I am not a rocket scientists but I don't think one has to be in this case. What makes anyone or in the NC legislature with half a brain think these individuals will be able to drive in an appropriate manor who cannot read road signs? One day in Winston-Salem I was behind a Hispanic woman who stopped at a green light to look for traffic. Never having witnessed this driving habit before I did not know what to do except to observe this occurance, thinking maybe I would learn something here. Wonder what they do when emergencies arise? For those of you out-of-state drivers thinking of driving through NC, you might want to take a detour around the state if you don't want to encounter illegal drivers who don't know how to drive. You might want to also consider if one of them runs into you, do you think they are carrying insurance for accidents. You might want to rethink that if you believe that. If a law enforcement official stops them for speeding, reckless driving or drunk driving, just how would the officer communicate with someone who does not speak English? Even more important to me, would the officer take the obviously illegal into custody for being illegal? The law is only being applied to us legal citizens and not to illegals. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? IS IT ASKING TOO MUCH FOR THE LAW TO START ENFORCING THE LAW CONCERNING ILLEGALS. If it is, we need a wholesale changeout of them!

We have so many illegals in Winston-Salem that I suspect some person or persons in Texas at the Rio Grande River has posted a sign pointing the way to Hispanic Heaven in Winston-Salem, North Carolina indicating rewards available upon arrival. Now our illustrious legislatures are considering a bill to provide illegals with in-state tuition benefits. How mornic can they be? I tell you some coins are surely be passed under the table or the sponsors are looking for Hispanic votes in the next elections. Let me tell you legislatures something, I WILL NEVER NEVER EVER VOTE FOR ANYONE WHO VOTES FOR ITS PASSAGE NOT NOW, NOT EVER! We are paying attention how you are voting and keeping records. WHY DON'T YOU WORK FOR THE LEGAL CITIZENS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND NOT FOR ILLEGALS? Has the Mexican mafia moving in to the halls of the legislature in Raleigh?

I am just glad 9 illegals were finally caught working at the aerospace company at Smith Reynolds a few days ago. Good work but can you immigations officals do the same for the 11-12 million still here in the US?

NOTE: I do not distinguish between nationals when they are illegal. THEY ARE STILL ILLEGAL PURE AND SIMPLE.