FR Exclusive: Jeb answers questions about his support of drivers licenses for undocumented workers

Jeb's emails to FR poster, summer | April 6, 2004 | Jeb Bush

[summer]

Note to FR, from summer:

FYI -- I am posting here below: (1) an email I sent to Gov Bush today, (2) his email response to me, and (3) another email response he directed to me, and you, from his office.

As most people here know (because I wrote about it at length on FR), I previously had a long dialogue with Gov Bush about education, via email. And, at times, I have emailed him about issues of concern to people on FR.

Consequently, this is another exclusive for you.

summer

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Email #1, from me to Gov Bush, today:

-----Original Message-----

From: [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 3:11 PM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject: FR person's fax to you

FR Person's fax to you

Gov Bush, I'm sending a copy of this to you, as suggested in the headline, so that if you want to respond online, to the people reading it, let me know and I will post it for you. [summer]

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Email #2, from Gov Bush to me, in response to above:

----- Original Message -----

From: Jeb Bush
To: [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 6:54 PM
Subject: RE: FR person's fax to you

[summer], I will get [my office] to respond to you.

Jeb

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Email #3, directed by Gov Bush to me and you, from his office, to all here:

----- Original Message -----

From: [Gov Bush's office]
To: 'Jeb Bush'; [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 7:25 PM
Subject: RE: FR person's fax to you

[summer] --

I hope the below Q&A is helpful. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Best,

[Gov Bush's office]

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Florida Safe Driving Act

[1] Why give driver licenses to undocumented aliens?

Florida has no power over immigration and naturalization issues, but it does have a duty to protect the safety of its citizens. Allowing Florida’s more than 400,000 illegal aliens to obtain a driver license under very strict conditions will increase safety on our roads and highways. It will boost compliance with Florida’s auto registration and insurance laws.

Also, a separate provision in the bill makes it easier for people with visas to renew their Florida driver licenses. Many individuals from outside the country visit Florida annually for an extended period of time. The new law allows them to renew their licenses every two years, rather than having it automatically expire every time they leave the country.

[2]Why wouldn’t the state just deport the aliens once they have verified their identity?

Under Federal law, no state has the power to deport anyone; it is exclusively the domain of the Federal government.

[3]What does the bill require?

This bill creates some of the highest verification standards in the country. It has more than 15 requirements for approval, and it requires the consulates to provide the applicant’s documentation to the state of Florida.

Aliens would be required to:

Ø show an identification card with digital image that has been produced with standards that would prevent counterfeiting;

Ø provide a second form of identification;

Ø submit fingerprints to the state; and

Ø agree to a criminal background check from their country of origin, the state of Florida and the United States.

The bill creates a mechanism for Florida to work with foreign consulates to approve a stringent means by which to verify the alien’s identity and ensure the consulate is not issuing a duplicate ID. Any consulate that cannot meet these verification standards will not be able to participate in the program.

Among the requirements consulates must show:

Ø documentation that the applicant has not been convicted, or is wanted of a crime equal to a felony in his home country;

Ø a certified copy of the applicant’s official driving record from home country;

Ø certification that the form of identification is legitimate;

Ø certification that the underlying documents used to issue identification are legitimate; and

Ø certification that the home country has security system in place to prevent multiple issuance of identification cards to the same individual.

[4] Who does this bill not apply to?

Aliens from countries on the U.S. State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism are prohibited from applying, as are those who are subject to an order of deportation. Felons cannot apply nor can aliens who cannot establish presence in the state for at least six months in the past five years.

[5] How does this differ from California law?

First, California law did not exclude applicants from the list of countries maintained by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. In addition, California did not require state and national criminal background checks, nor did it provide procedures in conjunction with foreign consulates to verify identity and criminal backgrounds with an applicant’s home country.

[6] Where will the licenses be valid?

The licenses are valid in Florida only, for two years. They will have a distinct look from standard driver licenses.

[7]How will the bill be implemented?

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will be responsible for adopting stringent procedures and coordinating with the consulates to ensure verifications of identity and background history of aliens. Consulates will have to provide certifications of the processes they have in place to establish identity of their citizens who apply. If a consulate does not meet these standards, their citizens will be prohibited from applying.

[8]What are the benefits of issuing the licenses?

First and foremost, this bill promotes safety by requiring that aliens pass driving tests before they get on the road. It will also boost compliance with Florida’s auto registration and insurance laws. Increasing the number of insured drivers is an enormous benefit to all on the road. Currently, a licensed driver who gets into an auto accident with an unlicensed alien has no means to recover damages against the uninsured alien.

There are also law enforcement benefits; a database of licensed drivers helps law enforcement verify the identity of a driver who is pulled over. Unlicensed, undocumented aliens currently are not part of this database.

[summer]

Thank you for taking the time to write to him and give him the chance to clarify.

My pleasure, redlipstick. You make good points. I realize it is quite rare that people in office have an opportunity to speak directly, without someone else's slant to deal with. So, a big thank you to FR, too.

[summer]

Good question. Thanks for your post #20, livius.

[azhenfud]

"Aliens would be required to:

Ø show an identification card with digital image that has been produced with standards that would prevent counterfeiting;

Ø provide a second form of identification;

Ø submit fingerprints to the state; and

Ø agree to a criminal background check from their country of origin, the state of Florida and the United States."


And Jeb's gonna suddenly require this of 400,000 Illegaliens? ROTFLOL! ROTFLOL!

[summer]

Re your post #16 - I think you're right. Thanks, Miss Marple.

[txdoda]

Under Federal law, no state has the power to deport anyone; it is exclusively the domain of the Federal government.

LOL.......Under Federal Law it is ILLEGAL for illegals to work in th USA.......so WHY would Jeb Bush (or any governor) want to Aid & Abet the illegals that are here ????

(any mention of any Federal Laws Jeb will *overlook* for citizens ??)

[summer]

so WHY

I think he has genuinely tried to explain his position here.

[expatpat]

They will have a distinct look from standard driver licenses.

This is a key issue for me. It is quite different from Gray Davis' approach (and Arnold's thinking as far as I know).

[summer]

RE your post #23 - You know, as a public school teacher, I can tell you there is a lot required in terms of ID for a person to teach (or volunteer) in a FL public school. So, I am not rolling on the floor laughing, as you are, because the state does require a lot of ID from some people, including those in public education.

[Miss Marple]

Attention! If those are the requirements, why do you think very many illegals will even apply?

[Petronski]

...under very strict conditions...

Barbra Streisand

[summer]

Re your post #27 - IMHO, I think this goes to a security issue here, too.

[freekitty]

I was wondering what powers the states do have or is everything in the hands of the Feds?

[Libertina]

I got a driver's license when I lived overseas - of course I wasn't an illegal and they would have arrested me and deported me if I was caught...

That being said, atleast there will be background checks and decent photos. Also, the fingerprinting is an excellent idea. (I didn't have to do that in Asia, but there was no terrorist thread at the time.) I am concerned about these License ID's being used for illegal voting, though. Even one illegal vote means an American citizen has had their right taken away.

It is better than nothing, I can see that honest effort was made in putting this bill together. It seems shameful though, that we as a country have so lost control that we cannot arrest people who are here illegally. It makes us look like weak schmucks, and the rest of the world acts upon it.

[Iscool]

"Florida has no power over immigration and naturalization issues"...

Seems to me the State of Florida does have the power to arrest a "Federal" criminal and hold the criminal until the Feds arrive...Sounds like a cop-out to me...

[summer]

I was wondering 'what powers the states do have' or is everything in the hands of the Feds?

in terms of....could you be a little more specific here? Thanks, freekitty. :)

[summer]

I am concerned about these License ID's being used for illegal voting, though

See post #27.

[azhenfud]

Pardon, but these are ILLEGALS who've already shown a propensity to disregard law - both state and federal.
Why would you or Gov. Bush think they would even try to comply with so many OTHER requirements?

[summer]

See post #32 - I think you are both asking the same question here.

[summer]

Re your post #37 - Because they want to eventually become citizens? I am just guessing. I think there are illegals who want to become legal. No?

[Vigilanteman]

If it was up to me, we could cure the problem with states and localities pandering to illegal aliens overnight. When the census is taken, every person counted would have to declare their legal status. Those who refuse to answer or who answer yes, but fail to produce a valid resident permit when asked would be considered illegal immigrants.

Their numbers would be doubled and subtracted from the reported population of the area. So when reapportionment, government funding and other goodies come around, areas with illegal immigrants would be penalized rather than rewarded. Big states like California, Illinois, New York, Texas and Flordia would probably lose congressional seats. Rural backwaters like Oklahoma, Mississippi and Indiana would probably gain seats.

Once illegal immigrant pandering ceases to be fashionable, so would illegal immigration.