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]

Re your post #59 - also see my post #50.

[Xenalyte]

Your post 50 is essentially a restatement of your 39, which my 59 answered. The answer is that nothing is keeping them from obtaining citizenship the regular way, except the reward of welfare and the other benefits of US life that one can get from not wading through all that legal rot.

[B Knotts]

Yes, they are. So, they can be arrested, and turned over to the feds to be deported.

Oops. The feds won't deport them.

So, we should just give up, I guess.

[summer]

The answer is that nothing is keeping them from obtaining citizenship the regular way,

Nothing? I would thought perhaps there is a language barrier that maybe makes it more difficult to learn what they need to pass a citizen's test...or there are lawyer fees they can't afford...or something. I really don't know. Is it so easy to become a citizen, as you imply above?

[summer]

I meant: I would have thought

[judgeandjury]

Are you sure they're not out there on the roads now?

If they are, that's ANOTHER law that illegal aliens are violating. If they're caught driving without a license, they should be immediately turned over to Immigration officials for deportation.

[expatpat]

Yup. If the illegals get special driver's licenses they have registered as illegals and can be tracked.

[expatpat]

And stringent background checks on prospective foster-parents.

[azhenfud]

There is a consular interview to which the applicant must be abled to speak and comprehend conversational English.

There's nothing wrong with that - it was originally to save America from becoming a multi-lingual mess. Non-enforcement of existing immigration policy has, in effect, undermined that.

This DL, will all applicants be required to read and comprehend English?

[Dog Gone]

I will agree that it's somewhat better that every driver in this country have license, but not having a license is no deterrent to illegal aliens in this country who need to drive to work, or wherever.

All aliens should be required to get a license. This is no different than any country requires of Americans who move there.

But illegal aliens are necessarily, by definition, in this country illegally. At a minimum that should mean that they file the necessary paperwork to be here legally under whatever status that might be, or they should be required to leave.

The last thing you do is give them more legal identification and privileges with regard to motor vehicles.

So while I agree that it's not the states' job to enforce immigration laws, that doesn't mean that they should do things to make it worse.

I think the world of Jeb, but he's taking the wrong stance here.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

"He isn't saying anything that wasn't said previously by Gray Davis."

Or Gil Cedillo.

[summer]

This DL, will all applicants be required to read and comprehend English?

Good question. Thanks, azhenfud.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

"if this helps get uninsured drivers insured, that would be a good thing for all of us."

And a good thing for the insurance industry. They're big donators to Arnold, I wonder how much Jeb gets?

[Libertina]

You know, Summer, I believe that this system is harmful for the Mexican workers as well. Many of them are away from their families. We in America know what that does to a society to have a father gone. In addition, when the US takes allows them in, their own corrupt government has less incentive to change. It merely dumps its poor on us. And at some point it is a fraud upon the American people. Charity is voluntarily given, but taxes taken by an out of control federal/state government and judiciary is theft - it is slavery for Americans.

I prefer trying to implement something where both sides are lifted up. Have you wondered how many Christians are in the US? Millions, and we spend billions a year on holiday and Christmas items. Currently much of this is produced in China, by a government that would spend the proceeds to turn more missiles upon us. However, many citizens of Mexico are strong Christians. They are family oriented.

I think we should set up a manufacturing zone where they can produce Christian items with "loving hands" and we get them at the border for distribution. They would have jobs in Mexico, keep their families intact, become more educated, begin to influence and take positions in their government. Americans would find partners not "social cases", have the tax burden of unconsitutional government "programs" lifted, less pressure on our hospitals and schools... and MORE.

It seems to me that this would use capitalism (supposedly our "system") to lift us all. I say get smart, show TRUE compassion by respecting ALL of the people and just do it. I'll volunteer to put it together!

[azhenfud]

one last note: will these DL's have state-to-state reciprocity? or will the right to drive be limited to Florida's roadways?

[summer]

If the illegals get special driver's licenses they have registered as illegals and can be tracked.

This was my first thought, too, when I initially read of Gov Bush's position.

[evilC]

Given that you are a Florida public school teacher, perhaps you can answer this question.

How much it does it cost Florida taxpayers to educate the children (and "anchor babies") of these illegal aliens?

[baseballmom]

Thanks summer. I appreciate Jeb (or someone) taking the time to fully respond to the question.

I guess I'm just stuck on the "illegality" of the situation. Why bother to have laws and borders if they are not even enforced?

I resent the taking of something that is not earned, but the humanity of the situation tugs at me too.

[summer]

I prefer trying to implement something where both sides are lifted up

I agree with this sentiment, and I think you make a lot of good points in your post #74. But, watch out - if you want to volunteer to do all that in this state, Gov Bush will probably write to you himself!!! :)

[JoeSchem]

You're obviously a troll. A patriotic American like Jeb Bush would never support such a treasonous plan to devalue American citizenship by giving greater rights to foreign invaders.