Bloomfield tables illegal licensing motion again

By Jenny Kane The Daily Times
Posted: 05/10/2011 01:24:01 AM MDT


BLOOMFIELD — For the time being, illegal immigrants still can acquire a drivers license at the city's Department of Motor Vehicles. But likely not for long.

For the second time, city councilors tabled a resolution to prohibit undocumented New Mexicans from acquiring licenses Monday evening at a city council meeting. The motion came after the council nearly passed the resolution, but then absolved the action after realizing there was not a three-fourths majority approval.

Councilors Pat Lucero and Matt Pennington voted to approve the resolution, while councilor Lynne Raner voted against it. Given councilor Curtis Lynch's absence, the council tabled the issue until the May 23 meeting.

The issue is a matter of time and money, city officials said.

"We are trying to be more efficient in answering to the question of why you have to stand in line for three hours," said police chief Mike Kovacs, who is pushing for the resolution.

It can take up to an hour to serve an undocumented customer, as opposed to 10 minutes, finance director Brad Ellsworth said. The amount of paperwork that goes into verifying and checking illegals' sometimes false documents also is costly, he said.

Yet, more than a dozen members of the immigrants' rights group, "Somos Un Pueblo Unido" (Spanish for "We Are a United People") offered the opposing perspective to city officials Monday.

"We've been feeling a little bit, kind of discriminated with this kind of stuff," said Jorge Perez, a 10-year resident of Bloomfield.

Like other members of the group, he expressed concern for undocumented family members.

Others reminded councilors that they too pay taxes, contribute labor, and support local business.

"I am legal," said 19-year-old Rocio Valencia, a student at San Juan College.

The policy lends itself to racial profiling, she said, something she already has experienced at Bloomfield's DMV. When trying to get a license, the process was painstakingly slow because department employees repeatedly denied valid forms of identification, despite her legal status.

Though officials at the MVD declined comment on the issue Monday, those who waited in line did not.

"Fair is fair," said Farmington resident Jennifer Bengfort, who felt that legality was necessary to have a license.

Others considered it a danger to have illegal immigrants without licenses.

"I mean, you gotta have a license to drive, so you can go to work and identify who you are," said Bloomfield resident Hector Beyale.

The contention surrounding the debate is certainly fresh, not just on a local level.

A bill that paralleled Bloomfield's resolution failed to pass through the state legislature in February, despite New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez's staunch support. Since then, many of the state's more than 30 city-run MVDs around the state have passed, or are passing, resolutions similar to Bloomfield's, Mahesh said.

He did not have an accurate estimate as to how many, though he did say it was in their right to do so because they are city-run, state-contracted offices. State-run offices cannot pass such policies.

Though the resolution likely will pass, based on previous support from Councilor Lynch, city officials made clear the resolution was not meant to polarize the community.

"Bloomfield has always been a town that encompasses all races and all people," said councilor Pennington.

For now, the MVD will continue to serve illegal immigrants, by appointment only.

City manager David Fuqua refused to comment on how many appointments are held daily. He also refused to comment on all other questions pertaining to city matters.

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