Undocumented immigrants face ‘difficult choices’ driving sans licenses

Author: By Cara Lombardo
Published On: Jan 05 2016 05:17:49 PM CST   Updated On: Jan 05 2016 05:18:42 PM CST


MADISON, Wis. -
Undocumented immigrants in Wisconsin are ineligible to get driver’s licenses. In Madison, they hope for bus routes and schedules that get them where they need to be--or risk driving illegally.

After attending a community forum where immigrants described their experiences, Police Chief Mike Koval wrote in a blog post, “We are forcing people to make difficult choices between violating the law--operators need to be licensed--and providing for the essential needs of a family.”

Koval said that the things that many of us take for granted, such as driving to work and going grocery shopping, are instead "calculated risks" for immigrants ineligible to obtain driver’s licenses.

Centro Hispano hosted the forum. The Madison non-profit provides Latinos in Dane County with social and legal services.

"The fact that [undocumented immigrants] don’t have driver’s licenses is very limiting," said Centro Hispano’s executive director, Karen Menendez Coller. "They may be going outside of Madison for employment that provides for a family of eight. When you take away that opportunity, you’re limiting their capacity to work."

Madison's Metro Transit has no plans to expand bus service routes or frequency. They are currently operating at capacity and would need a larger storage garage if they were to add buses to their fleet. The agency did hire two Spanish-speaking employees this year to better communicate with Spanish-speaking riders.

Metro Transit offers a limited number of low-income bus passes which riders must purchase in-person each month from one of three locations. The passes are sold two days each month. Mick Rusch, marketing communications manager for Metro Transit, said they sometimes run out of passes and have to turn people away.

"They go like hotcakes," Menendez Coller said.

Menendez Coller also noted that while the Madison Police Department has a policy against detaining someone solely for a suspected violation of immigration laws, areas outside of Madison might not have the same policy.

Until 2005, Wisconsin permitted undocumented immigrants to hold driver’s licenses; this ended when Republican-sponsored legislation made state law compliant with federal law under the REAL ID Act. The REAL ID Act, in an effort to curb terrorism, required states to only issue identification cards to U.S. citizens or those with legal status.

Currently, 12 states and the District of Columbia allow unauthorized immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Those states are

California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii,
Illinois,
Maryland,
New Mexico,
Nevada,
Utah,
Vermont
Washington.
* District Of Columbia *

In September, State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milwaukee) introduced a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. She said the current situation is a public safety issue.

"(Undocumented immigrants) are still getting on our roads, but without having gone to the DMV," she said. The proposed bill would require undocumented immigrants to pass a road test and purchase car insurance within 30 days of being licensed, both of which would protect other drivers, she said.

The licenses could not be used for voting or boarding planes and would not be recognized federally.

But the bill has a small likelihood of passing given that it doesn’t have any Republican support in a Republican-controlled legislature.

When similar bills were proposed in the past, opponents argued that the state should not give undocumented immigrants the same rights as U.S. citizens.

State Rep. Joe SanFelippo (R-New Berlin) recently introduced his own bill that would require drivers caught without valid licenses to immediately surrender their vehicles to police.

"We have to stop letting reckless drivers continue to negatively impact the lives of anyone who gets inside a vehicle," he said in a statement.

Both SanFelippo and Zamarripa have touted their bills as promoting public safety, though the two bills take contrasting approaches.

"People need to drive to get to work," Menendez Coller said. "It’s a little short-sighted to think, 'We have this community that’s growing and we want them to work and we want them to contribute, but there might not be jobs in the city so you hare
to go outside of the county, but we won't give you a driver’s license.'"

http://m.channel3000.com/news/undocumented-immigrants-face-difficult-choices-driving/37279114/

I never like being offered choices like this article references.

Generally, I tend to have little or no sympathy for anyone who claims that they are "forced" to be law breakers, because the world fails to cater to their refusal to comport themselves responsibly to begin with.

The only cautionary I have going the other way, is practicality. Since neither the Federal or State governments are doing what it takes to get the illegals out of here, perhaps some temporary patch, to at least get them to behave SAFELY, might be logical.

But I sure don't support ANY reasoning that goes "we're FORCING them to behave badly."

No we're not.

It really isn't that difficult, to obtain a u.n. drivers license.

Ok, I'll ask. Whats a U.N. drivers license?

It's a drivers license issued by the united nations.
As long as it's actually issued by the u.n., it's valid.

wouldn't that be only for members or their staff?

Embassys can issue/acquire them, or some federal offices but I think illegals will avoid those.... and they do require a passport

whats next , Squatters should be entitled to renters insurance so they can live in your home safely?

insane

wow, how republican of you to say...

With Oblowme's new immigrant round-up going on they may not need them,

Since he lied to the dreamers and fooled them into exposing themselves by promising they wouldn't be deported it's much easier to find them

nah, its just HARMONY of me,,

Im not an all or nothing, there is no one I agree with on EVERYTHING, or disagree with on EVERYTHING

Not at all.
If you're google is broken, try calling the u.n..

Oh now that is funny

i knew there was an international DL, but i didn't know the UN backed it... but i never really thought it through, either...

Police Chief Mike Koval wrote in a blog post, “We are forcing people to make difficult choices between violating the law--operators need to be licensed--and providing for the essential needs of a family.”

Well... Some things are missing from-that-fr@cken-paragraph !

And a police chief says " we are forcing people to make difficult choices between violating the law...? WTF!?
They ALREADY did, they are here. And they are NOT being forced to do anything... Until they are forced to go home.

Separate from embassies and consulates of one's own country.
The u.n. issues it's own drivers licenses, valid in member nations.
Some, may be diplodink licenses. Others are for the average schmuck.

sounds more like an insurance factor more than anything else... someone has to pay for the damage caused by non insured drivers...

Ben Carson: Seal All Borders, Turn Off Spigot That Dispenses The Goodies http://youtu.be/N0Hs89_LhOY/ 02:13

He may have the most logical solution

Forget Carlson, Trump has a wider outlook and so the blueprint.
DLs colored yello for Mex, blue for Euros and so on..

DLs are after all licenses like teaching licenses, electrician licenses, flying licenses, medical...

If one extrapolated Ben's point of view, no international pilot could land a plane in US airports..

In India, and many countries, if Americans have an international DL; they automatically drive..

Funny laws, if one can buy guns but not drive..

Illegal aliens cannot legally buy a firearm in the U.S.

il·le·gal /i(l)ˈlēɡəl/
adjective
contrary to or forbidden by law, especially
criminal law.
noun
a person present in a country without official
authorization.

...and they want a U.S. drivers license?
Offer a special....Free drivers licenses to all illegal aliens....and when they show up to get them, ship their azzes back home.

LEGAL aliens, I have no problem with....