Posted on 07/05/2004 3:33:09 PM PDT by Sweet_Sunflower29
A new law that went into effect last month means Dina Guirguis, an Egyptian in the United States on a temporary student visa, can't renew her Tennessee driver's license when it expires in a few years.
The law allows only U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents to get a Tennessee driver's license. That rules out illegal immigrants and temporary visitors such as Guirguis.
But Tennessee is offering a unique compromise -- a "certificate of driving" that illegal immigrants won't be able to use for official identification but that will allow them to drive. The certificate guarantees the person knows the rules of driving in Tennessee, but can't use it to buy a gun, rent a car or board an airplane.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
Lovely
Most states require you to get a drivers license from that state if you are resident for more than thirty days, regardless of whether you have an immigrant or non-immigrant visa.
This would apply to holders of B-1, B-2, F-1, H-1B, H-3, L-1, 0-1, and P-1 visas, which are various categories of non-immigrant visa allowing entry from six months to five years.
Here in the two-animal zoo of Tennessee (donkeys and RINOs) the law was changed during the summer of 2001 to no longer require proof of SSI registration when applying for a driver's license. We were told it was passed for highway safety concerns when it was actually done to grant illegals the trappings of citizenship (quickly signed by a Republican governor, no less).
Tennessee found illegal immigrants coming from all over the United States for the express purpose of getting a driver's license, then returning to their base states for easy transferals. Just a few months later 19 Middle Eastern fanatics, many possessing legitimate driver's licenses from other lax states, used them to board airliners and fly into history.
Since then a few conservatives have worked hard to get that modification repealed. This certificate program, while certainly a compromise, represents a tremendous victory over the illegal alien lobby that has everything it's way for so long. Until the Federal government starts rounding up illegal aliens and their employers get fitted for orange jumpsuits this measure at least starts the ball rolling toward reform.
This is a license.
It does not pass the duck test.
Everyone is required to have insurance or face jail time if caught in an accident. The illegals purchase insurance for the documents then let it lapse. They do that all over the country.
Probably. But I bet they can VOTE! UGH!
Well, it seems to me that it is a good way to handle the foreigners who are here LEGALLY. I would hope that these new licenses are only good for the length of their visas, for openers.
Tough Noogies for the illegals - as most of us have stated, it's less for the priviege of driving than as aBreeder Document that is the Open Sesame to all the U.S. goodies as well as potential vote fraud.
On the other hand, issuing the illegals this kind of "Not For Identification" card gets them into the database. Then, since they have that option and don't use it, ship 'em home for that reason when caught. No visa number? Check 'em out on a random basis and send 'em home. That should put the damper on the "license them for safety crowd". Of course that would mean the govt./INS was serious about internal security.
I fully support driver's licenses for illegals. As long as they have to apply in person at their local immigration control office.
Things are beyond what someone on drugs could make up.
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