The council resolution, which passed unanimously, is in support of Senate Bill S1696 and Assembly Bill A2135 proposing the issuance of such cards.
In public comments before the vote, El Centro Hispanoamericano Board Chairman Randy Schaeffer said, "A driver's license is essential to life in the 21st Century."
Speakers said undocumented residents need driving privileges to access employment and medical appointments, among many other things.
Rob Weldy, a retired attorney who is involved in ESL classes, said he knew of a Latina woman with no license who was "scared to death" when she parked a borrowed car inadvertently in a fire zone.
"All they want to do is go about their business," raising children and getting a job, he said."Please consider supporting this bill."
Flor Gonzales, president of the Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs, called attention to the large Hispanic turnout for the cause, which Councilman Cory Storch later acknowledged as "the most Hispanic faces ever seen at a council meeting" over his 10-year tenure.
Richard Lear, president of the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District, said he is married to a Latino and "offering them the right to drive is the right thing to do."
Carmen Salavarietta of Angels in Action said some Latinos believed the city was going to issue the licenses, but PACHA Commissioner Christian Estevez said, "We are very intelligent people" who understand the legislative process.
He said of the campaign for passage of the legislation in Trenton, "This isn't something we are doing for somebody else, we're doing it for ourselves."
Lenin Aguirre of Mayan Mobile Marketing announced a new organization, the Tri-County Latino Coalition of New Jersey, including Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, created "to give Latinos a voice," inspiring some in the audience to chant, "Si, se puede!"
--Bernice
If they came here illegally how can the demand a drivers license so they can get a job? Don't they have to get a green card 1st?
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, giving unauthorized people drivers' licenses would amount to a state level recognition of their residency but would not confer any kind of worker legality which would have to come from the feds.
DeleteLegalizing drivers in New Jersey trades the good news of compassion and normalcy for the bad news of creating a further major incentive for illegal immigrants to settle here which will place further enormous pressures on budgets at all civic levels and societal relations in many neighborhoods across the state.
I agree, we should not pass any legislation that would give them access to a drivers license unless they are here legally. On the other hand, for each illegal that register for a license we would be able to track them and run a criminal background before issuing the license. But then again, if they produce phony id and then get a license in that phony id, we don’t know who there are. I would hope part of the process would be finger printing and a criminal background check.
Deleteyes put in risk all the well-fare sections to noble citizen in plainfield.
Deleteooh find something better todo!! 3:42am!
ReplyDeleteDenying unauthorized people driver's licences does not reduce the number of immigrants that come and live here. The ability to drive legally is not what brought them here. However, if we all know that they are already here and that they are not going anywhere, then why don't we start thinking more rationally about how to make the situation better for all if us. If we really think about it, we will all come to the logical conclusion that allowing these immigrants to drive legally will help bring down the cost of auto insurance since we would have more athorized drivers purchasing auto insurance.
ReplyDeleteIf they are granted drivers licenses, can we they track them to get taxes from their work?
ReplyDeleteInteresting, when my family came to this country in the late 1960s, fleeing Communist Cuba -- like so many immigrants before and after them, they applied for a Visa and waited out the process which was, seemingly, never-ending and could be rather humiliating, during that period.
ReplyDeleteUpon choosing to leave the island, they were considered to be traitors, shun by many in their community including family members, for not supporting the government. They were blacklisted, lost their jobs, were forced to work in labor camps and a governmental inventory was taken of their home as they would not be allowed to take any personal property upon their departure – NOTHING! NADA!
My family arrived in the U.S. with the clothes on their back, nothing more. They were fortunate to have some support from family members who had also recently immigrated and were already living here; without delay or the ability to speak English they pounded the Newark pavement for work at local factories, enrolled my brothers in public school, saved a few dollars to rent an apartment and were on their way to, hopefully, a better life – and so it was!
Almost 50 years later, 2 generations of immigrants, no matter from where they hail, have managed to realize their dreams – raising successful families whose children have gone onto higher education, creating successful businesses and engaging in public service as a way to demonstrate gratitude for their newly adopted homeland -- and all of this was accomplished at a time when bi-lingual daycare did not exist, government-issued documents were not written in multiple languages and public clamoring of entitlement was perceived as outright disrespectful by similarly situated folks.
Just a thought.
What next? Don't tell me ... voting rights. This country has become a lawless joke.
ReplyDelete"Denying unauthorized people driver's licences does not reduce the number of immigrants that come and live here."
ReplyDeleteAny studies or numbers to back that up? More importantly, will allowing illegal immigrants the privilege of driver's licences encourage illegals to settle in NJ versus a state that does not allow illegals drivers licenses? Our roads are congested enough.
I am glad to see that you recognize a drivers license as a privilege and not a " right" as Richard proclaimed. I too have a problem granting privileges to people that do not follow the process. No matter how hard they might have had it in their homeland.
DeleteWow,Oscar it is ashame you try so hard not to identify with Latinos,sounds like self hate.
ReplyDeleteI'm not certain how stating the facts equates to self-hate?
DeleteAnd they will have to buy car insurance, right?
ReplyDeleteUndocumented drivers can get a license in neighboring states. It is called the black market. The black market is doing quite well and it is not run by latinos. Reject licence to undocumented is support for the underground economy. How come no one complains about those who are enriching themselves on the backs of the undocumented?
ReplyDeleteOscar forgets that Cubans have been given preferential treatment by the United States government ever since Castro took power. Cubans did not have to ask for any handouts because they were given to them freely. People in Cuba called people like you "gusano" for a reason: you had no problem turning your back on your own people. Now you continue to do the same. You try to compare your privileged status among Latino immigrants and look down upon those that were not given preferential treatment as you did. Oscar: I know that your parents told you that you were special and that Cubans are special amongst Latino immigrant groups. But check your history and you will see that the conditions were different for you and your family. In fact, our late City a Council President Ray Blanco (Cubano) made a great documentary were he exposed the very Cuban privilege of which I speak. Check it out!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello "Anonymous"
DeleteI am fully aware that Cubans, historically, have been given preferential treatment. I was simply sharing a personal anecdote -- that being said, please replace Cuban with Colombian, Russian, Mexican, Venezuelan, Haitian, Chinese, Polish, Indian, Korean, Jamaican, or any other immigrant group -- very similar stories apply in many instances.
I am, however, impressed by your creative writing and your ability to draw so many conclusions on my minimal commentary, albeit not factual.
Thanks for reading.
Oscar ;)
I would be interested in what process would be used. Will it be open to Latinos only or to illegals from any other country? Will American born residents of New Jersey who for whatever reason are not able to produce the now required 12 points of identification be able to get a license?
ReplyDeleteI'm just asking, seems only fair to me.
The details are in the proposed legislation. Click on the links to the bills and you can see how it would work. It does not specify any nationality.
Delete