Foreign ID insufficient to acquire driver’s license

New Md. driver’s license laws restrict undocumented

By Ashley Snyder
Staff Writer

[An undocumented immigrant who did not want his last name published is referred to as Gonzalez].

Every day when Victor Gonzalez of College Park arrives to work, he has already spent 15 dollars. While SUVs and sedans are switching lanes, he sits quietly in the back of a cab.

For Gonzalez and many other recent U.S. immigrants, the transportation that most Americans take for granted has become a complex issue — raising the question of immigrant rights in a country at a cultural crossroads.

As of April 13, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill that prohibits issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, making Maryland the newest of 47 states to check the immigration status of license applicants.

The House and Senate debated over the bill, which says that drivers who cannot prove legalstatus by means of a U.S. visa stamp cannot get a driver’s license starting June 1. The House voted 76 to 60 in favor, while the Senate followed with a 29 to 16 vote.

However, the bill did not pass without a compromise: the thousands of immigrants who previously obtained licenses through foreign documents can get a one-time driving permit that expires in July 2015, but are prohibited to drive near federal buildings or commercial airplanes due to the tightened security after September 11.

Born in Mexico City, Gonzalez, 25, an university worker, believes the change was inevitable, despite the devastating effects it has on his work and personal life.

“I came into this country with two goals: to work and to better my English, but without a way to get around, reaching those goals seems impossible sometimes,” Gonzalez said.

On the eve of the law change, chaos and disorder reigned. Thousands of Maryland’s illegal immigrants made last-ditch efforts to get driver’s licenses before the law took effect.

For most, the attempts were a waste due to last minute changes and widespread misinterpretation of the law. All learner’s permits and state-issued identification cards issued after April 19 could not be converted to licenses, contrary to what many advocacy groups and radio stations had promoted.

Those for and against the bill admitted its flaws. Del. Ronald A. George (Md.-R) who is against licenses for undocumented immigrants, called the bill “sloppily written,” in a previous interview.

“There’s no question there was mass confusion,” said Kim Propeack, director of political action of CASA de Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group.

The arguments are impassioned on both sides. Gonzalez, who studied immigration politics in his home university, believes if there is not a legal way to drive, people will do it anyway.

“Honestly, most people I know are not paying for taxis like me, they’re just driving. Denying driver’s licenses force[s] thousands of unlicensed and uninsured people onto the road, putting everyone in danger,” said Gonzalez.

Not everyone agrees. “Illegal aliens should receive no benefits from the government. Licenses, in state tuition, it will only attract more illegal aliens who are taking advantage of a country they aren’t giving back to,” said an U. Md. political science senior major who preferred to remain nameless.

Maryland ranks as the 11th state with the highest undocumented immigrant population, numbering approximately 250,000, according to a study by the Census Bureau.

Gonzalez may only be a large part of that number, but his voice speaks for many.

“The ultimate question is about more than just driving a car,” Gonzalez said. “It’s about our rights, and if we deserve them, or if we don’t.”

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Posted by admin on Oct 19 2009. Filed under Local News, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry