Thread: NM Governor Martinez is wrong on revoking dl's to IAs

NM Governor Martinez is wrong on revoking drivers licenses to illegals
February 22nd, 2011 6:33 pm MT
J. Stephen Wilson

Governor Susana Martinez got it only half right. Her executive order requiring immigration status checks of all those arrested may be a reasonable thing to do, but her attempt to revoke drivers licenses of illegal aliens passed under the Bill Richardson administration is just plain wrong. Let me explain.

If New Mexico State police only check the status everybody that is physically arrested (not just Hispanics), this may represent a legitimate compromise given certain political realities. Except for some hypothetical cases, this measure might satisfy those on both on the left and the right of this issue.

Of course, we can only trust proper implementation of Martinez's Executive Order 2011-009 which prohibits police from arresting whose that report crimes and those only suspected of minor criminal activity. After all New Mexico does not want to debase our cultural history and our state with checks that depend on how you dress and look.

The reason New Mexico will never be an Arizona is because this state has the largest percentage of Hispanics in the entire nation at nearly 45 percent versus Arizona’s 30 percent. (When the 2010 census data is published, the percentage may be higher.) Correspondingly, New Mexico also has the highest percentage of Hispanic state legislators and governors, including a total of five Hispanic governors since 1912. Checking Hispanic’s immigration status would be like going after the Irish in Boston – it just wouldn’t fly here.

But if New Mexico had the same influx of illegals as Arizona, I’m not so sure we would continue to be so accommodating. That is, Arizona has over seven times the number of illegals as New Mexico but only 3.25 times the population (2M versus 6.5M). These statistics, combined with the relative lack of jobs in New Mexico may help keep the illegal problem here more theoretical than real.

Now, fast forward to this week in Santa Fe. Susana Martinez lost her first skirmish with House Democrats to revoke Richardson's HB 401 which gave drivers licenses to illegals. Thanks to Representatives Gail Chasey, Bill O'Neill, and Moe Maestas from Albuquerque who voted to table HB 78 in committee and keep the Richardson-era law in place, at least for now. Although drivers licenses for illegals is a very complex problem, Richardson concluded that giving drivers licenses to illegals was more of a highway safety and insurance compliance issue than a possible deterrent to illegal immigration. And since this bill was enacted, California demonstrated how denying drivers licenses failed to increase attrition from the state.

Following this issue closely in Santa Fe, Somus Un Pueblo Unido reported:

The Governor's staff presented a poor case for repeal, often contradicting themselves and focusing on the "wrongness" of giving licenses to the undocumented, as well as unreliable anti-immigrant polling data.

But the fight is likely to be just beginning. Martinez is now pushing for a full House vote on the issue despite the fact that New Mexico’s legislative session is only 60 days. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate, like Senator John C. Ryan (R-Bernalillo) dittle around with similar measures. Question is, do we want our legislators spending our precious time fighting non-problems sparked by a Tea Party-mentality agenda, or do we want our legislators fighting for more jobs and reliable energy for our state?

J. Stephen Wilson is founder of The United States Association of Immigrants and co-author of the annual booklet, Win the Green Card Lottery! He provides weekly immigration news and reports at myGreencard.com. Here he will provide progressive immigration commentary with a human rights perspective. You can contact him at swilson@myusai.org.

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NO illegal should have a valid drivers license in any state of the union. They should not be allowed to operate a vehicle. That is a privlidge and not a right. The only rights illegals have is deportation.

Originally Posted by BillCunnane

NO illegal should have a valid drivers license in any state of the union. They should not be allowed to operate a vehicle. That is a privlidge and not a right. The only rights illegals have is deportation.

Your exactly right BC.... Why Is something that Is just plain "COMMON SENSE" being made Into a contentious Issue. There should not even be a debate on this. They are ILLEGALLY IN THE COUNTRY

"I pulled my license out at the judiciary committee meeting!"
I got yelled at! Obviously didn't know I was a roofer!

Wonder how much they would care if we allowed DL's to illegals but said that as they can now be given to illegals who we cannot confirm any real identity the lisense is no good as any form of Identification for benefits, bank accounts, college, voting, or anything else. One would need another type of valid ID that proves they are who they say they are.

But then thats the whole point. They want to be able to make up a name, say thats what it is, and get an ID to use benefits under whatever made-up name they have that week. Its not about driving even or even having insurance, its all about the identification factor which makes any form of US ID to illegals a point in complete idiocy.

Seriously, my name is Barack Obama and you can trust me on that.... now gimme an ID and let me run your.... err my country!

lol

Bill Richardson was dead wrong on the drivers license issue. Susan Martinez is right. She needs to continue to enforce her Executive Order, Republicans and Democrats in New Mexico need to stop the nonsense of giving drivers licenses which is permission to be in on our highways and interstates to people who have no right to be in our nation on anything, anywhere, any time.

We are at a point where the absurdity of policies like the one Richardson put forth in New Mexico are beyond argument or dispute. Americans must demand that their state governments not only stop issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens, they must demand that all our governments stop issuing anything, anywhere any time to illegal aliens who aren't supposed to be in our country to begin with. That means states stop issuing driver's licenses, counties stop issuing school registrations, the IRS stops issuing checks and federal courts stop issuing civil court dates for lawsuits to illegal aliens.

Demand an end to this mind-boggling nonsense, and don't take no for an answer. Any politician who doesn't stand up for our immigration laws both in word and spirit must be thrown out of office in 2012, 2014 and 2016, because these traitors aren't looking out for you or your family, your job or your livelihood, they're working for foreign interests looking out for foreign nationals who aren't supposed to be in our country being looked out for by anyone here.