Thread: Undocumented immigrants find entering Utah clubs difficult

Undocumented immigrants find entering Utah clubs difficult
By Lee Davidson


Published: Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:24 a.m. MDT
21 comments

SALT LAKE CITY — While a Utah "driving privilege card" allows undocumented immigrants to drive on the state's roads, some immigrants are surprised that it won't help them maneuver into clubs that serve alcohol — or the concerts staged in them.

About 25 aliens discovered that the hard way last weekend, when they expected to see Spanish rock star Enrique Bunbury at The Depot but were told that their driving privilege cards were not legal proof of age in Utah.

"They are not going to let me enter because I'm an 'illegal?' Do you believe that is just?" one of the immigrants, who asked to remain anonymous, told a reporter for El Observador de Utah, who was covering the concert.

Just or not, it is required by an interesting twist when state alcohol laws are combined with recent changes in driver's license laws. And a key Utah lawmaker predicts the Legislature will not change the situation but is more likely to create even more hurdles for immigrants by perhaps repealing driving privilege cards altogether.

Liquor laws require anyone seeking to buy alcohol ?— or enter a club that serves it — to prove they are at least age 21 by showing a driver's license with photo and birth date from any U.S. state, a valid passport from any country, military ID or an official Utah identification card.

Story continues below
A "driving privilege card," issued only to undocumented immigrants, is not on that list. Such cards were created long after the list of valid ID for liquor-purchasing was written in 1985, said Vickie Ashby, spokeswoman for the Utah Liquor Commission.

And driving license laws now require proof of legal residency to obtain a Utah identification card (or a full driver's license). Laws reinforcing and clarifying that requirement took effect Jan. 1 this year.

El Observador reported that several undocumented immigrants at the concert had no other form of ID that would work and were not permitted to enter. Several tried to present driver's licenses from Mexico, but Utah law does not allow using them, either, said Jim McNeil, president of United Concerts, which promoted the Bunbury show.

"We had no choice but to refuse them entry," said McNeil, who added that refunds were offered.

"A liquor license is very valuable, and if you don't play by the rules, they punish you," he said. (United Concerts and The Depot have the same owners.)

"We want people to come in and participate in a venue. It doesn't do me any good to block somebody out, but it doesn't do me any good to do something that is against what the liquor commission wants us to do," he said.

McNeil estimates that about 25 people were turned away from the concert out of about 500 that attended. He added that Bunbury was "very, very upset" that many of his fans were not admitted and said that nothing like that had happened on his "The Consequences" tour across America.

McNeil said he would like to see the Legislature perhaps change laws to allow driving privilege cards to be proof of age for clubs.

Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said that is unlikely.

"If anything, it is more likely that there would be a move to repeal driving privilege cards" rather than allow them to be used as proof of age, said Bramble, a former Senate majority leader who has been closely involved with legislation about driving privilege cards for years.

He said Senate leaders have told him that a move will be made by some members to repeal those cards next year. Bramble said he personally opposes that because it could mean that 35,000 to 40,000 undocumented immigrants now with such cards would have difficulty obtaining insurance — but may still be on Utah roads, anyway.

Bramble also said nobody should have been surprised that driving privilege cards cannot be used for ID.

"It is stamped right on them that they are for a driving privilege only and are not valid for identification," Bramble said.

Story continues below
He added that one reason legislators decided to create driving privilege cards was due to stories that some undocumented immigrants were using driver's licenses to vote or to obtain government services to which they were not entitled. He said that is why lawmakers made clear the cards could not be used for identification.

He said that carving out an exemption to allow their use for proof of age at clubs would be seen by many lawmakers as opening Pandora's box to other problems.


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7000 ... .html?pg=2

Oh, boo hoo. They not allowed to drink and drive using their driver's card.

Since these cards are issued only to illegal aliens, why aren't the police calling ICE when one of them is stopped? Talk about screwed up logic! Get the outta here!!!!

Too funny!

Dixie

I think this is really funny! I think this backfired on the illegal felons!!!

Illegal aliens must stay in the United States. It is time to deport all illegal aliens.

"They are not going to let me enter because I'm an 'illegal?' Do you believe that is just?" one of the immigrants, who asked to remain anonymous, told a reporter for El Observador de Utah, who was covering the concert.

Unbelievable!! Wacko entitlement mentality is pervasive with these people!!

Go watch the concert in Mexico!!!