The Line of Sheep Grows Larger

Texas has now joined other states in making it even more difficult for immigrants to obtain Driver's Licenses. Now they must not only show their social security cards, but also some other proof of legal residency.

Funny how people lose their sense of reasoning when wanting to follow the crowd. Not allowing undocumented people to drive

1. decreases the number of drivers on the road with auto insurance - making it more likely if you have an accident the other driver WILL NOT have insurance (guess who pays for that?)
2. increases the number of incompetent drivers - since those without licenses don't have to take a driving test
3. makes Texas feel even more like a fascist regime - where civil liberties are increasingly being ignored - remember we already beat all other states in the nation for our death row count.

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/10/09/1009id.html

New rules for ID cards, driver's licenses
Guidelines require proof of legal status for immigrants.
By Miguel Liscano
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, October 09, 2008

Immigrants must now prove they are in the United States legally to obtain new driver's licenses and identification cards, which will indicate their status, under new Texas Department of Public Safety rules.

As of Oct. 1, applicants who are not citizens must present immigration documents before they are issued a card.

After documents are verified, an applicant will be issued a license with the cardholder's photo positioned vertically instead of horizontally. "Temporary Visitor" will be written on the card, and the date that the holder's temporary status expires will be printed on its face, according to the department.

In the past, people applying for a driver's license or identification card were required to show documentation to establish identity, not legal status, Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said.

The new rules are "intended to enhance the security of the driver license and ID card, and to reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud," Mange said.

Because driver's licenses can be used to gain access to bank accounts, board airplanes and enter various government buildings, the commission "wanted to make sure the documents were as secure as possible," Mange said.

The new rules also require applicants to provide proof that their status has been updated or extended before they are issued a duplicate or renewal card, the department said.

People whose legal status in the country is limited to six months or less will not be able to get licenses or ID cards.

The new guidelines were approved by the Texas Public Safety Commission in late August and went into effect this month, Mange said.

Mange said most other states require proof that a person is in the country legally before granting licenses. She didn't know whether those states issue different-looking cards for citizens and noncitizens.

In 2005, a federal law intended to fight terrorism set standards for how states issue driver's licenses, requiring the 70 million or so Americans who get or renew licenses each year to provide more proof of who they are and where they live.

The law compelled states to more aggressively verify that information.

Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday praised the new guidelines, saying, "We must ensure that this privilege is not abused by those seeking to enter our country illegally. The safety of Texans remains a paramount concern of my administration, and these new guidelines will provide additional security."

Jim Harrington, director of the Austin-based Texas Civil Rights Project, said the guidelines have little to do with national security.

He said it's one more example of state leadership trying to intimidate immigrants, legal or illegal.

"I can't tell you how many times people have said, 'It's better not to get mixed up with this because I'm going to have problems with immigration if I do,' " he said. "It shows government hostility toward them."

mliscano@statesman.com; 445-3629

-