The main argument for driver's licenses for illegal aliens by open borders groups like MALDEF and La Raza are so that our roads will be safer. They deny that they would be used for opening bank accounts, booking airline tickets, receiving government services or illegal voting. However a proposal for a "driving privileges card" for illegal aliens in Utah -- one that would prove the driver is able to drive yet not able to be used for identification purposes beyond that -- has been viciously opposed by Hispanic groups.
Their reason for opposing the proposal? They say the cards could be used for racial profiling because they don't look identical to a regular driver's license.
The "driving card" is also opposed by other groups who oppose illegal aliens receiving driver's licenses at all. The bill was initially proposed because Utah has become a haven for illegal aliens to receive driver's licenses and there has been evidence of illegal aliens having voted.
The Hispanic groups arguments are all moot anyway as anyone here legally in the United States can get an actual honest to goodness drivers license, not some knockoff driving card!
Deseret News
Bramble released his bill last week in response to an Office of the Legislative Auditor General audit that found Utah is being used as a "portal for undocumented aliens living out of state to obtain driver licenses." It also found 383 people who "appear to be undocumented aliens" had registered to vote.
"The issue of racial profiling is not the issue of this bill," Bramble said. "It is the integrity of our voting system. . . . It is incumbent upon this Legislature to respond to inappropriate conduct."
...
But Bob Gallegos, president of RAZ PAC, said the bill would instantly identify people as undocumented and could lead to harassment of anyone with a "brown face."
"Officers are going to be looking for that," said Gallegos. "I don't want to be checked out for something like that."
Gallegos said several Latinos plan to show up today to protest the bill, and he has called a meeting for Latino community leaders tonight to discuss the license issue.
The Utah Hispanic Legislative Task Force reluctantly supports Bramble's bill but has concerns about racial profiling and that there's no guarantee it wouldn't target people for deportation. Those concerns have led some task force members oppose the bill.
"For me that's better than to say, 'Let's get rid of the license completely,' " said Joe Reyna, task force co-chairman. "Then we're lost and there's nothing we can do about it."
Marco Diaz, head of the Utah Republican Hispanic Assembly and member of the task force, told the Senate GOP caucus that supporting Bramble's bill hasn't been an easy position to take.
"Some more extreme factions of our community believe we are selling out," he said.
The fact anyone is thinking of giving privileges to criminals in the first place is ridiculous.
