St. Paul Pioneer Press Editorial:
Driver’s licenses for the undocumented are amnesty
April 18,
2019
By Andrew Cilek
https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/18/andrew-cilek-drivers-licenses-for-the-undocumented-are-amnesty/
The Minnesota House of Representatives has voted to grant amnesty to illegal aliens in Minnesota. Specifically, House File No. 1500 would sanction them with official government recognition, provide them with driver’s licenses and IDs, make them a protected class unaccountable to law enforcement, and hide their identities and citizenship status from the public. This is amnesty by deception.
This government ID will be proof that the State knows the person is here illegally, knows their age and address, and approves their violation of immigration law. The issuance of a driver’s license to an undocumented immigrant puts the State of Minnesota foursquare behind the lawbreaker and against immigration law.
A state-issued driver’s license insulates the individual against any attempt to hold him or her accountable for being here illegally. The license holder simply asks the judge, “How can the government complain about my presence here after I voluntarily presented myself, gave it my name, age, and address and, as a result, was awarded an official ID and driving privileges? The state cannot contend that I don’t belong here. It should have made that decision before, now it is too late.” In other words, the person has received and enjoys amnesty and the state backs that up.
Backers of the legislation throw around unsupported rationalizations like making the roads safer, bringing revenue to the state, and reducing vehicle accidents. They cite no studies or evidence for the magnitudes of any of these benefits which are likely to be small and, in any case, pale in contrast to the harm of societal decay and the destruction of respect for the law. How is it that proponents know that illegal immigrants are driving recklessly? If they are, the solution should be to reduce their number, not change the law to accommodate them.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s April 10 opinion piece in the Pioneer Press (“We’re better off if all drivers are licensed and insured, regardless of immigration status”), however, lays bare the amnesty goals of proponents of driver’s licenses for those who have jumped ahead of immigrants who have played by the rules and come to America lawfully. He writes that the legislation will help them “… do all the things the rest of us take for granted.” There it is, amnesty pure and simple.
Consider the distortion of language used by those who want open borders and amnesty. Illegal aliens become “undocumented immigrants,” erasing the reference to violating the law and equating the lawbreakers to those who come here legally, honorably, patiently, and respectfully. The driver’s license bill then leverages and extends this linguistic swindle by erasing the “undocumented” part. So, if the Minnesota Senate can be beguiled into going along, then a quick signature from Gov. Tim Walz completes the installation of amnesty after only empty discussions about improving road safety and benefitting businesses.
The corrupt intentions underlying this proposed law are further revealed by other, never-discussed elements aimed at creating a special status for the undocumented. The bill is riddled with language like “The commissioner must not share or disseminate…”, “A driver’s license agent must not share or disseminate…” that hides the amnesty from law enforcement and the public.
Provisions include, “The commissioner and a driver’s license agent must not share or disseminate any data … with any federal agency, federal department, or federal entity for a use that would otherwise be permissible …”
Also, “Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, this subdivision prohibits the commissioner and a driver’s license agent from sharing or disseminating the data … with any entity … any political subdivision, any state agency as defined … or any federal entity, including but not limited to a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and any other law enforcement agency established within the department.”
Supporters of the law should be asked if they are aware of these restrictions on law enforcement.
This is not just a “bad law,” one where there is debate over policy. This proposal is a “nullification law” that violates the fundamental duty of the legislature to uphold the Minnesota Constitution and the rule of law. It condones lawlessness, rewards lawbreakers, obstructs law enforcement, and sanctifies the fraudulent intentions of those who support it.
In short, driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants sabotage the core value at the heart of the American system: citizenship.
Andrew Cilek is executive director of the Minnesota Voters Alliance,which describes itself as an election integrity watchdog group active since 2004.
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Andrew E. Cilek
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