Paradox: Giving Illegal Immigrants Legal Rights
With just one week left as this legislative session edges closer to the June 5th deadline, much important business has yet to be debated and voted on. One of the issues taken up by the House of Representatives last week was a bill that would require the State Department of Motor Vehicles to issue valid Connecticut driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants who reside in the state in violation of federal immigration laws, starting in 2015.
The late-night introduction of this controversial bill by the Democratic majority initiated debate on legislation that most members had little time to review. At the conclusion of a seven-hour House debate that lasted through the night ending around 5:45 a.m., I voted in opposition to this bill.
I continue to have great reservations not only about the speed at which this bill passed through the House, but also about the implications and unintended consequences that this bill will have. With the original legislative intent of this bill cited as making roads safer in Connecticut, it does very little to address that concern, and nothing to address the many significant problems with the bill, including an inadequate background check process that makes no attempt to ascertain if the driver’s license applicant has a felony criminal record outside the boundaries of Connecticut.
While the immigration system of the United States needs reform, it exists so that those seeking to make a life in this country can enter in a legal and fair manner. Rather than strengthening that legal system, this bill circumvents the entire immigration process as defined under federal law and allows the state government to legitimize the illegal means that people have entered this country. It does so by granting them a valid form of identification and the privilege of driving, a privilege that belongs to legal citizens.
With such sweeping reforms that will affect an estimated 50,000 to 250,000 illegal immigrants residing in Connecticut, the process by which this bill was presented and adopted was unacceptable. The measure did not go through the normal legislative process, and has not passed through a single legislative committee. As such, no opportunity was given for people to express their views on this legislation as no public hearing was held.
Interestingly enough, a Quinnipiac Poll taken earlier this spring reported that 65 percent of respondents opposed licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Republicans introduced a number of amendments which were in turn defeated on party lines. One such amendment that I supported would have created a task force to study the process and procedure of granting such licenses, and the effect this legislation would have on our operational, financial, and social infrastructure. There are so many variables for which we do not have answers, which far outweighs any benefit to granting rights to those who do not follow the law.
This legislation also lacks the safeguards and mechanisms to validate important, personally identifying information, such as an individual’s origin, and allows unverifiable documents such as emails to suffice as valid proof of residence.
Furthermore, the bill provides for criminal background checks in Connecticut only, and individuals have only to prove they’ve resided in Connecticut for 90 days. The bill does not provide for background checks to include felonies committed outside of Connecticut. Considering the recent terrorist attacks in Boston and abroad, this lack of consideration for security protections that were not included in the legislation is astonishing and alarming.
As a land of immigrants, the United States is rich with heritage brought by those who have legally come to this country in search of the American dream. As a state legislative body, the Democratic majority has done a grave disservice to this heritage by passing legislation that undermines the legal process by which people work hard to earn citizenship and the privileges afforded, such as earning a valid state driver’s license.
Seven states that have implemented this program have repealed it because of overwhelming unintended consequences.
The bill was passed without one Republican vote. It is scheduled to be taken up for vote by the Senate this week.
Please feel free to contact me about this or any legislative issue by calling my office 800-842-1423 or email john.piscopo@housegop.ct.gov.
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