N. Mexico Senate Rejects Bill Preventing Undocumented From Driving

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 08:38:41 PM EST
Tags: immigrants rights (all tags)

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Susana Martinez, New Mexico's new Republican Governor and a former prosecutor, campaigned on a tough-on-immigration platform.

With her support, including ads paid from leftover campaign funds, a bill to repeal a law allowing undocumented residents to get driver's licenses passed the state house.

Today, the New Mexico Senate has rejected the bill.

Some law enforcement groups opposed the repeal, saying it would result in tens of thousands of unlicensed and uninsured drivers.

Immigrant rights groups are also happy with the bill's defeat:

"This goes to show that you come in with a radical, extremist agenda, you're going to get push-back because New Mexico is not a radical extremist state," said Marcela Diaz, head of immigrants rights group Somos un Pueblo Unido.

[More...]

As to how the law currently works:

Under current law, license applicants must show proof of identity, such as a passport, birth certificate or license from another state. They also must present two proofs of residency.

Some facts on the topic here.

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N. Mexico Senate Rejects Bill Preventing Undocumented From Driving | 8 comments (8 topical)

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She made a lot of enemies (none / 0) (#1)
by Saul on Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 08:59:31 PM EST

with this bill. I glad it got defeated. When a mexican american governor is so anti illegals from mexico what did you expect. She got what she deserves.

not necessarily (none / 0) (#2)
by nyjets on Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 10:10:20 PM EST

A lot of people may believe that there is a contradiction with the fact that you can be in this country illegally but still obtain a driver's license. Honestly, this has always made no sense to me.


I've always objected to using a driver's license (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by ruffian on Sun Mar 20, 2011 at 10:49:58 AM EST

as anything more than a license to drive. It should not say any more about you than that you are capable of handling a motor vehicle.


Not necessarily wrong (none / 0) (#4)
by nyjets on Sun Mar 20, 2011 at 11:58:57 AM EST

However, one, I have always beleived that a driver's license should only be issued to American citizens. IOW, only American citizens and maybe 'documented' immigrants should be allowed to have them.
Two, rightly or wrongly a driver's license has become a defacto id card. I mean, people who do not drive still have a non-driver's id card fromthe DMV.
An 'undocumented' immigrant can and will use a drivers license as an id card, the way American citizens use a driver's license.


So you prefer (none / 0) (#6)
by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 21, 2011 at 10:17:05 AM EST

thousands of people on US highways with NO license, no insurance, no way of identifying them? I fail to understand THAT thought process. Do you actually believe that the undocumented or "illegal" aliens are going to refrain from driving because they don't have that piece of plastic in their pocket?

Do you know how many people I know of that have had driver licenses revoked and or suspended and they keep on driving? C'mon, this is country married to the automobile. People are going to drive. I want those people insured. I don't give a rat's ass of their immigration status. And guess what, you can't buy insurance without a license.


: Then they should not be driving (none / 0) (#7)
by nyjets on Mon Mar 21, 2011 at 10:31:36 AM EST

My point is that 'undocumented' immigrants should not be in this country, let alone driving with a license.
'Undocumented' aliens will drive without a license sure but that is a crime. Once they are caught driving without a license, they can be jailed and deported.

It's been an issue here in NoVA (none / 0) (#5)
by jbindc on Sun Mar 20, 2011 at 03:42:55 PM EST

When an undocumented man from Bolivia drove drunk last summer and caused an accident that injured two nuns and killed a third. He was supposed to have been deported after his 2nd DUI arrest, but ICE delayed his deportation hearing 3 times, and it never took place. His trial is coming up next week.

Site Violator! (none / 0) (#9)
by Zorba on Tue Mar 22, 2011 at 03:50:37 PM EST

Busy, busy little spammer.