Oregon was once a sanctuary for illegal immigrants from neighboring states to gain driver licences. However, with the recent addition to Senate Bill 1080, which initially passed in February 2008, Oregon is taking steps to make it more difficult for those people to obtain licenses.
The second part of the bill, which has three parts, took effect Jan. 1 and allows Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles to check applicants’ immigration documents through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program. The SAVE program is affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security and verifies the immigration status of anyone without a U.S. passport or birth certificate.
The main framework for the law was enacted in July 2008 and required Oregon residents to provide proof of legal presence in the United States to qualify for an Oregon driver license, driver permit or identification card.
“Oregon used to have some of the most lenient requirements in the country for obtaining a driver license,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said in a press release. “This legislation brings us in line with the majority of other states and ensures the integrity of Oregon driver licenses and identification cards.”
Under the July law, driver license applicants were required to show proof of legal presence when renewing or obtaining a new license. The latest addition to the law allows the DMV to check the legitimacy of these documents through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE program.
Although the law makes the process of attaining a license more secure, opponents of the law and DMV officials are skeptical that the bill makes roadways safer.
“Since the new law, we can send people away who we know are not legally in the state; unfortunately, that doesn’t keep them from getting in a car and driving. That is one of our greatest concerns,” DMV spokesman David House said. “We won’t know in Oregon what the effects of unlicensed driving is for quite some time, but neighboring states, including California, reported having a much higher instance of people who drive without licences.”
Immigration Specialist Helpline Consultant Mario Hernandez believes the new law is increasingly degrading to illegal immigrants who he said are not only left without a legal means of transportation, but are also crippled in their search for jobs, many of which require licences.
“Many immigrants have no other choice but to drive without a license in order to make a living,” Hernandez said. “When a person is caught driving, they are fined and if they are caught again they can be put in jail. The stricter immigration laws around the country are just the stProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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e governments trying to make money from immigrants. They are trying to make this a business.”
According to Oregon law, driving without a license is a Class B violation and is grounds for a fine of up to $360. If a person is caught again without a license, he or she can be jailed and law enforcement may contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where further investigation can be pursued.
The final installation of the three-part law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010 and will allow the DMV to issue licenses for the length of an immigrant’s stay, rather than issuing a license to be valid for eight years.
“We have no idea how many people have been able to attain Oregon licences illegally previous to this law, so there is no way of knowing how effective this law will be until we give it some much-needed time,” House said. “Our hope is that it increases the legitimacy of the Oregon licensure program.”
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License control
Daily Emerald
January 6, 2009
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