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In recent weeks we've witnessed at least two incidents involving an illegal alien driving an 18-wheel semi-truck who has caused a fatal traffic accident. This accident in Florida on August 12 resulted in the deaths of three innocent people, while this accident earlier this month in Ontario, California, resulted in the deaths of three more innocents. In both instances, these illegal alien truck drivers had a state-issued, valid commercial driver's license (CDL). These illegal aliens had no business getting a CDL, neither had adequate English language skills — in one of the cases the driver showed no comprehension of basic traffic signs, in the other the driver did not have adequate knowledge about the machine he was in charge of.
In response, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the administration will be withholding $40 million in federal monies due to California (which issued both CDLs) until it complies with the department's requirements regarding English Language Proficiency (ELP) in the issuance and maintenance of driver's licenses. This is all well and good, but it's not nearly enough.
I support the Trump administration's policies on dealing with illegal immigration. So far, they've successfully shut down the border and under Border Czar Tom Homan they are making steady progress in the apprehension and deportation of illegal aliens, concentrating on those who are public safety threats. However, they are missing a large public safety threat regarding driver's licenses. There are currently nineteen states, along with the District of Columbia, that issue regular old driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Most of those states are the usual suspects (California and other deep blue states), although the list does include one deep red state (Utah).
That's seriously stupid and wrong for several reasons. The first and most important reason is public safety. It is, or at least should be, harder to obtain a CDL than a standard driver's license (DL). Just imagine how many of those illegal aliens with a standard DL are as incompetent and unfit to drive in the U.S. as those illegals killing and maiming people with their 18-wheel semi-trucks.
The second reason not to issue a license to illegal aliens is that it will, if it hasn't already, facilitate voter fraud. There are a number of cities (mainly in blue areas) that allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. The reason stated by proponents is something to the effect of: "They're part of the community and should have a say in how it's governed." That is insane. They are not legal residents, let alone citizens, and they are entitled to absolutely zero say in the affairs of the place they live. Additionally, their vote only dilutes the vote of each and every actual U. S. citizen. It is also not outside the realm of possibility that some number of the illegal aliens allowed to vote in the local elections will also vote in state and national elections, thus diluting the vote of all Americans. Further, a DL will make it easier for them to stay and live in this country illegally, which is the exact opposite of what we should be doing if we want to reduce illegal immigration.
I think this point is self-evident. In fact, in California, the issuance of DLs to illegal aliens has perversely made life a little more difficult for U. S. citizens in that they must obtain a REAL ID (which requires some extra time and trouble) if they want to do some of the things a regular ID — such as DL — used to allow them to do, such flying on a commercial airplane.
Anyway, I think the Trump administration should announce in the next week or so, that any state that wants to continue to receive federal highway funds must 1) quit issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens immediately; 2) provide the federal government a list of all illegal aliens to whom they’ve issued a driver’s license; and 3) revoke the issued drivers licenses of each and every illegal alien who was issued one by your state within 90 calendar days.
In conclusion, let me quote President Trump: "Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Discussion (17)
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Works for me.
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I'm for it. Of course, the states may not record who is legal and who not.
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They say, although I don't know if they do it, the DL's to illegals include some sort of language or marking that it can only be used for driving or some such. Even if they do this, I doubt states like California have the slightest interest in enforcing such a provision.
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One of the driver's license issues I keep thinking of is the extent of the prospective driver's general familiarity with American driving culture and customs that govern driving beyond the details of the laws and rules.
People who have grown up in the United States, by the time they get their own driver's license, have watched people (such as their parents) drive on American roads, and have absorbed via osmosis the customs and culture that is "normal" (and thus expected) in America.
We don't know if people who have recently immigrated into the United States, and especially those who have entered illegally (i.e., no vetting, no history, nor background), have observed American driving culture and customs sufficiently to understand how they are expected to behave as a driver on American roads.
They may be able to answer technical questions about "the law" on a quiz, but do they understand the driving culture sufficiently to understand what to do in an ambiguous situation?
There are driving cultures outside the United States that are very different from those of the United States, such as those in which road lane markings are no more than suggestions to be followed only in ideal situations, or that application of the vehicle horn grants automatic right of way, or that the largest vehicle automatically has the right of way, or that pedestrians are irrelevant intrusions into vehicle driving, or that road signs matter only if a law enforcement officer is nearby, or other cultural differences.
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As I understand it, a significant impetus for the adoption of "Real ID" for driver's licenses in states was the people and entities could no longer rely on a "driver's license" as true confirmation that the person was the person asserted to be, or that the person was legally permitted to be in the United State. Because so many states had stopped verifying identity and immigration status on applicants for state identification.
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