Thread: New law would deny drivers licenses to illegal immigrants

New law would deny drivers licenses to illegal immigrants

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt is proposing a new law in Missouri to make it against the law for those in the country illegally to get a license to drive.
By John Hacker / Of the Press Staff
Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:58 PM

www.carthagepress.com



Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt greets
State Sen. Gary Nodler and State Rep. Marilyn Ruestman
shortly after his press conference to announce his proposal to make it a crime
for an illegal immigrant to get a state drivers license.
State lawmakers have to approve the proposal
for it to become law. John Hacker/Carthage Press



Calling a plan by the Governor of New York to allow illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses in that state a "scheme," Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt is proposing a new law in Missouri to make it against the law for those in the country illegally to get a license to drive.

"The New York Governor concocted a scheme to issue drivers licenses to illegal immigrants," Blunt told reporters at a news conference in Joplin on Tuesday. "A plan like that may sound good to politicians in New York City or Washington, but it would not be good here in Missouri. Under my plan, people who are here illegally would not get a drivers license. And if anyone tries to help them get one, they will be prosecuted and punished."

Blunt said he will call for the new law during the next legislative session, which starts in January. Blunt said he was flexible and would negotiate with lawmakers on whether to make the crime a felony or a misdemeanor, especially on a first offense.


He said while existing safeguards within the drivers license approval process help prevent illegal aliens from receiving a drivers license, it is not specifically prohibited by law.

A Joplin attorney who works in the immigrant community in southwest Missouri, said prohibiting illegal immigrants from getting drivers licenses can have unforeseen consequences.

Joplin attorney Aldo Dominguez said Blunt seems to want to "govern by fear."



"It's hard to paint a picture with one brush stroke, and that's what he's doing," Dominguez told the Carthage Press. "There are ramifications to these actions that the governor didn't address. It's already difficult to get a drivers license in Missouri and if you want to codify by law making it illegal for illegal immigrants to get licenses, it ignores the positives to allowing them to get licenses. It's still legal in eight states for illegal immigrants to get licenses and if they've made it work, why focus on the negatives?

"First of all, when you apply for a license, you have to pay a fee, and that generates income for the state. Anytime someone is applying for a license that assumes they have a car and they had to pay taxes to buy that car and that generates income for the state. Then there's the insurance aspect, I can't tell you how many times I've been in court and seen where a person who causes an accident doesn't have insurance because they are illegal. Who pays the medical bills and other bills generated by that accident? You and me. You have to look at the positive aspects for illegal immigrants having drivers licenses before you dismiss it outright."

Blunt called prohibiting drivers licenses for illegal immigrants a tool to tackling the problem of illegal immigration, something the federal government has failed to do.



"Illegal immigration is a serious problem in our country and in our state," Blunt said. "It is a problem that deserves attention from government. Missourians have been waiting on Washington for too long with few results in the fight against illegal immigration. And as Washington has set idle, our problems and our frustration with illegal immigration has only grown. Though immigration enforcement should be a federal responsibility, we cannot and I will not stand by as Washington fails to act."

Blunt touted several moves he had made through his power of executive order to tackle the problem in the state.

He talked about helping the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement service arrest 22 illegal immigrants working for a company that had a contract with the state, then banning that company from having other contracts with Missouri.



He talked about deputizing state law enforcement officers to enforce national immigration laws, ordering the state's Department of Economic Development to check contractors who receive state tax credits for illegal immigrant workers and ordering law officers to check every person arrested for immigration status.

Dominguez said these actions and stronger laws could damage the southwest Missouri economy and communities.

"These laws could damage the Carthage economy and the city of Carthage itself," Dominguez said. "If the immigrant community feels uncomfortable, they are less likely to spend money and more likely to leave and in the end what do you get, nothing.



"Say you keep enacting stronger laws against illegals, what happens to the all the businesses that live off what they spend, what happens to them? It definitely has a chilling effect on the community and could have a chilling effect on the economy beyond the immigrant community that depends on them spending money."

Blunt called prohibiting drivers licenses for illegal immigrants a tool to tackling the problem of illegal immigration, something the federal government has failed to do.

The show me state is sounding better all the time!

no mention if the government verifies legal status of all contractors employees. Was the discovery of 22 illegal aliens just a fluke or a matter of consistent procedures to verify ID's.