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You are here: Homepage » Human Rights » Essays » Illegal Immigrants Drivers License

Illegal Immigrants Driver's License

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National Security

In the wake of 9/11, illegal immigrants, so-called undocumented immigrants, a group of people who has never had any right in this country, now become a big issue that many people are interested in. Driver's license could be use as an identification card because it carries personal information which includes photograph, address, date of birth, weight, height also fingerprints. Almost all transactions such as credit card authorizing, bank account opening or even car rental which are under their names could be authorized by their universal passes. Due to the importance of driver's licenses plus the fact that illegal immigrants are them not us, granting driver licenses to illegal immigrants becomes a very hot controversial issue. One side of this debate claims that issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants will bring safety to the country. On the contrary, issuing driver's licenses without proving status will encourages illegal immigrant to remain illegal and help terrorist to hide in the United States easier.

Not so long after California governor Gray Davis signed a law to help illegal immigrants obtain California driver's licenses, National Review released the article named License by David Frum. This article represents many reasons, claiming why granting driver licenses to illegal immigrants might bring unpleasant consequences. Frum opens his article by letting the audience suppose ourselves as terrorists who are hiding in Los Angeles. What's the first thing you need now? he asks (56). He says that California governor makes it easier for terrorists by signing the law that help illegal immigrants obtain California driver's licenses(56). A terrorist who needs a new name and identity that allow him to hide from police must give thanks to California governor Gray Davis; what he need is now available without fuss, trouble, or very much in the way of expense (Frum 56). Terrorists without identification card are like wet matches waiting for ignition. Due to their wetness, it is difficult for them to ignite. After the wind blows the moisture out, they become active again. From this point, if we were terrorists, with new names and identitieswind that blows away the moisture will help us stay in the United States easier.

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According to the new law:

California will no longer require proof of citizenshipsuch as a United States passportfrom applicants for licenses. Instead, all one will need is the passport with which one entered the United States in the first place, plus a federal Taxpayer ID (available to anyone who asks for it), plus a canceled rent check or utility bill and take a test (Frum 56).

Then one is ready to go. With California driver's license, people can board planes, enter the State or Defense Department, obtain a credit card, or even buy guns(56). Frum further claims that fingerprints on the driver licenses have nothing to do with the security because state will not share information with immigration service (56). He raises example about the 9/11 hijackers who took advantage of law in Virginia to licenses them (56). The other point that he made is the right to vote, the most important right granted to American citizens, that illegal immigrants are stealing. He claims that, Motor Voter Act of 1933 which requires voter registration applications to be given to everyone who applies for a driver's license. Applicants are supposed to attest on a form that they are indeed citizens, but they are seldom asked for proof (Frum 56).

Contrary to Frum's belief, according to License, Frum claims that California will no longer require proof of citizenship from applicant for licenses. Instead, all you will need is the passport with which you entered the United States in the first place, plus a federal Taxpayer ID (available to anyone who asks for it), plus a canceled rent check or utility bill and take a test (56). That list of documents that are required by state might be enough to verify their status because to obtain those documents, the illegal immigrants have to go through many processes to verify themselves. The next point that Frum claims is that with California driver's license, people can board planes, enter the State or Defense Department, obtain a credit card, or even buy guns (56). Our country has social security number system, which is another identification form used to obtain credit card or even buy guns you have to obtain another license. It is not that easy. Frum also claims that Motor Voter Act of 1933 which requires voter registration applications to be given to everyone who applies for a driver's license. Applicants are supposed to attest on a form that they are indeed citizens, but they are seldom asked for proof (Frum 56). The possibility of this point might have significant value close to zero. The DMV should have database that link to the other government departments. It should not be any leaky system that could not verify the voter because it is a very big issue.

The story always has two sides, and of course, so does driver license and immigrants issue. The other article Illegal Aliens and Driver licenses by Schneier Bruce represents the different points of view. Bruce Schneier (born 15 January 1963) is an American cryptographer, computer security specialist, and writer. He is the author of several books on computer security and cryptography, and is the founder and chief technology officer of BT Counterpane, formerly Counterpane Internet Security, Inc. The Center for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology Policy states that not issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens are bad for security (Schneier, par. 1). He says preventing states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrant will be to undermine national security because it ignores three principles of counter-terrorism security: the shrinking perimeter of defense; the need to allocate resources to more likely targets; and the economics of fraud (Schneier, par. 3).

Schneier raises the fact that thirteen million illegal immigrants already within The United States epitomizes that a perimeter-based defense is porous (par. 4). Granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants to use as identification card will be another form to screen this large population and to separate illegal immigrants from terrorists or criminals (Schneier, par. 4). Rather than excluding thirteen million people already within our borders, non-terrorist illegal should be encourage to participate in internal security screening system (Schneier, par. 5). Secondly denying legitimacy to thirteen million illegal aliensthe vast majority of whom are not terroristsjust increases the size of the suspect pool for law enforcement to have to sort through (Schneier, par. 6). Third point that he makes is the most general to our daily life: if thirteen million people in our country can't drive, travel or participate in society without a driver's licenses and they can't get the legitimate one, then the market will supply them the illegal one (Schneier, par. 8). On the other hand, if illegal immigrants are allowed to get legitimate licenses, the one who will be trying to get the illegal documents will be terrorists or criminals (Schneier, par. 9).

Essay Marking

Although there is a believing that granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrant will secure our country from terrorism, what is going to happen if a thousand persons use the same apartment address in the same state? The very first point that Schneier makes is about driver's license will screening the good from the bad (par. 4). The fact is that illegal immigrants are human and human nature tends to try to survive. Many illegal immigrants do not give up their real information to the DMV because they fear they will be deported. Therefore, the separating process might not work in this case. The second point is that approving identity legitimacy to thirteen million people will decrease the size of suspect pool for law enforcement to have to sort through (Schneier, par. 6). If all thirteen million people have driver licenses, the amount of suspect pool will still be thirteen million because again we cannot prove whether they give out the right information or not. The third point that he made is that if thirteen million people in our country can not drive, travel or participate in society without a driver's licenses and they can't get the legitimate one, then the market will supply them the illegal one (Schneier, par. 6). Unfortunately, they may have the legitimate supply with false data. Beside those three points, How the government will verify illegal immigrant if they inform the truth? will still be a question.

If you have ever watched Super Bad, you might recognize McLOVIN's driver's license from Hawaii. Why Hawaii? It is because Hawaii is one of the seven states. Those seven states, which include Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and of course Hawaii intend to protect our security by offering licenses to illegal immigrants without requiring them to show legal documents. That is the reason why many illegal immigrants go to those states to obtain their driver license. According to the Center for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology Policy statement saying that not issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens is bad for security, Schneier further by states that thirteen million illegal immigrants are already within our borders (pars. 1-4). Restricting their driver licenses will result in unsecured nation due to it opposes to three principles of counter-terrorism security which include the shrinking perimeter of defense, the need to allocate resources to more likely targets and the economics of fraud (Schneier, par. 6). Moreover, it also lessens highway safety.

Restricting driver licenses lessens motor vehicle and highway safety. The state should promote road safety by encouraging driver to get licenses and insurance. Everybody has the basic need also does the immigrants. They need to drive, to travel to work like us. The restrictions create untrained, unlicensed drivers and encourage unlicensed drivers to flee from accidents because they were fearful of being caught without driver licenses. As a result of restricting driver's licenses, it will be a difficulty for illegal immigrant to get insurance and in the most cases they tend to escape from the scene of accident. Moreover, not issuing driver's licenses to immigrants may result in the spreading of the false documentary syndrome. If large numbers of immigrants are denied their driver's licenses, the sale of falsified documents becomes an option for them.

With the restricting driver' license policy, it might lead our country into unsecured nation due to it opposes to three principles of counter-terrorism security and the highway safety. Unfortunately, there are only seven states that issue driver licenses without asking for legal proof. While the restriction requires illegal immigrants to prove their status before issuing driver license, the other illegal immigrants are crossing the border or overstaying their visas. The policy does not stop illegal immigrant from crossing the border, overstaying visa or driving. Obviously, no illegal immigrants will ask DMV to issue their driver's licenses, wait for them to ask for legal proof and get deported.

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