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Sunday, May 05, 2013

Maryland and Oregon Extend Driving Privileges to All Immigrants

Maryland and Oregon are celebrating the signing of new laws expanding access to driver's licenses to all residents, including undocumented immigrants. We are part of a movement. Our hope is that our success inspires the passage of bills in more than a dozen other states considering similar measures.

In most states today, it is difficult, if not impossible, for people to go about their daily lives without the ability to drive. Simple but essential tasks such as driving kids to school or to extracurricular activities, picking up groceries, going to the doctor, and traveling to workbecome riddled with hardship. As a result, people without access to driver's licenses are faced with the difficult "choice" of either not meeting their basic needs or driving and risking arrest and other negative repercussions.

Against this backdrop, having a driver's license can provide critical protection for immigrants' civil rights. Across the country, immigrants are subjected to harassment, racial profiling, and needless arrest and detention by law enforcement officials who use driving without a license to route aspiring citizens into deportation proceedings. Many immigrants have been driven into the shadows as a result, living in fear of these consequences every time they find themselves compelled to get behind the wheel of a car. At least in Maryland and Oregon, they will now be able to get driver's licenses—and having a drivers' license means no longer having to live with that fear.

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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

They are not undocumented. They are illegal!! When are people going to get this through their stupid heads!!

Anonymous said...

Uh...the ones you are speaking about are "illegal immigrants"! Use the correct phrase and not just immigrants. They do not have ANY rights in this country. The sooner you understand this, the better off our country will be.

Anonymous said...

The good news is we will now know where they are living and can round them up for deportation at any time.

This is why we fought so hard against a gun registry folks!

Anonymous said...

So this article is from the ACLU. WHY are they defending these people? They are NOT AMERICAN. Maybe we should protest and make them change their names since in this case they are fighting against Americans.

Anonymous said...

Illegal Immigrants don't have Civil Rights here. They do in Mexico, though, and they can get driver licenses there, too! So, now there are two more incentives for Illegals to come here????????

WTF?

Anonymous said...

If illegals can't read or speak English, how can they understand the vehicle laws, and pass the written test? Or will otaxie just exempt them but the rest of us citizens will have to pay more for tags/registration to provide and support the illegals???? Don't they have to prove they have insurance to be able to drive??? Or are we, the CITIZENS going to pay extra for their insurance as well???

Anonymous said...

Let me guess. Ok, I'm driving my insured pickup and I get creamed by one of the undocumented citizens who have a license in Maryland, and they have no insurance. So, I guess I or my insurance company can't sue to recover my losses because they are not citizens. Now, where do I stand?

Anonymous said...

Can you get a car tagged in one state if your drivers license is from another? I know in Maryland you have to have proof of insurance before they give you tags and if the insurance is canceled and you don't turn in the tags it's a huge fine. This probably won't apply to them they wont pay the fine anyway. I know my childs car was hit but someone as he came out of the store. He saw it but couldn't get their tag number. No doubt they were here illegally.

Anonymous said...

6:56 Actually you do not have to have a drivers license in Maryland to buy a car. As long as you have cash they don't care. After they sell it to you and sign the paperwork over to you with your signature, they are done. So if an illegal in Maryland hits you, you are screwed. Why, because they are undocumented so they don't exist. Is this a great State, or what?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the response 7:31. I haven't bought a used car for a while. Years ago when I bought a new car they gave you the tags at the dealer or they gave you a temp tag and your regular tag came in the mail weeks later. If what you say is true I bet the insurance rates in Maryland will be going up because of licensed but uninsured drivers.

Anonymous said...

A year ago I sold 2 classic vehicles which I restored and over the years lost interest in. The buyers came with the cash, we agreed to the terms of my warranty, I signed the titles over to them and they drove away. I assume they had drivers licenses but it was not a condition of sale. I had no clue if they had insurance or not; again, not my problem. So, to 6:56. You do not have to own a vehicle to get a drivers license in Maryland.

Anonymous said...

So in other words you can buy a car without a license and you can get a license without having a car. Since Maryland requires proof of insurance before giving out tags the only problem I see is getting the illegals to keep the insurance on the vehicle.

So if someone comes to Maryland and gets a license..then goes to Delaware to have the vehicle tagged.....is that possible? Does Delaware require them to carry insurance on their vehicle like Maryland does?

Anonymous said...

A year ago our friends who live in Delmar De. bought a new car from Sherwood in Salisbury. They paid cash, all the paper work was completed and they drove the car off the lot with temporary tags. Point is you don't have to own a car in Maryland to get a license, and you don't have to have a license to buy a car in Maryland. So now in Maryland if you are undocumented you don't exist so a dead person can get a license in Maryland!

Anonymous said...

6:39 you are right. With Maryland's new law, a person can get a drivers license and not even own a car or have insurance. So an illegal can get a license in Maryland and move to a another State and buy a car kill someone in an accident and nothing will be done because they are not citizens.

Anonymous said...

8:53
I'm sure they had a DE drivers license and got the vehicle tagged in DE. What I'm concerned about is people coming to Maryland....get a license and going to another state buying a car where they don't need insurance.

Anonymous said...

All of these comments are great but the bottom line is that these ILLEGALS should not be issued ANYTHING! Thanks O'Malley and all others supporters of this horrible crime against legal citizens of this state and country.

Anonymous said...

other states do it. you will see most illegals driving cars with out of state tags. they move from TN, with the car, here, no ins, etc and they can't be found to be fined until they have an accident. happens all the time. when you buy a new car you have to show proof of ins. when you privately buy a used car you have to show proof of nothing.

John said...

Amen to that !!! I just don't understand. ...

lmclain said...

According to the article, the premise is that illegal - say that again for clarity - criminal immigrants somehow have acquired "civil rights" in the country they snuck into and now illegally reside. Why even have the immigration laws? WHO is protecting the rights of the REAL citizens who are killed and maimed by drivers who shouldn't be here at all? It is certainly NOT the people who were elected to "represent" us. STILL think your "leaders" represent you? They can't wait to celebrate a FOREIGN holiday and throw you to the wolves. I swear, it seems like the average IQ is dropping like a rock in water on a daily basis. But I am very confident that the NEXT guy we elect will change all of this....thats what they tell us and I believe them. After all, their track record is exemplary...

Bushman said...

Welcome to 'Alice In Wonderland'
Hope everyone is enjoying the ride down the slippery slope!

Anonymous said...

This is NOT a victory people. Now they will flock here faster than you can shake a stick. If you are here illegally you need to be shipped out.