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| Oregon's illegal immigrants "adjusting" to new driver's license rules |
| 2008-06-13 |
| Until recently, ElÃas Garcia of Salem had been in a quandary — he couldn't decide whether to return his 2006 Chevy Tahoe to the dealership where he bought it or continue to drive the vehicle even after his driver's license expires late next month. He chose the latter. "It wasn't an easy decision," the Honduras native said in Spanish. "I have a family to feed and bills to pay, so I need a car so I can get to work." On July 1, a new driver's license law will take effect in Oregon. The new rule was set in motion by Senate Bill 1080, which was approved by the state Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Ted Kulongoski during a supplemental legislative session in February. Under the new law, illegal immigrants will not be eligible to obtain, renew or replace an Oregon driver's license. Good start, but will they be eligible for free room and board at the local jail until they pay their back-taxes and leave the country? Like Garcia, many plan to continue to drive without a license, said Abel Valladares, a community organizer with CAUSA, an immigrant-rights coalition in Woodburn. "They aren't leaving the state like some people had hoped they would," Valladares said. Bummer. So it hasn't hit 100% "success" yet I guess. Some opponents of illegal immigration disagree, saying that as fewer unauthorized immigrants are allowed to drive, they'll leave Oregon or self-deport. Now how can they possibly be expected to self-deport if they don't have a car? "People already are moving out of the state and the country because of the driver's license bill," said Jim Ludwick, the president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, a McMinnville-based group that advocates against illegal immigration. Ludwick cited an article published in March by an Oregon newspaper, which reported that some undocumented immigrants planned to relocate to Vancouver, Wash. "Without a driver's license, it's much, much harder to remain in society," Ludwick said. "A license gives you proof of identity and the confidence to move around; otherwise, you run afoul of the law and have to be looking over your shoulder all the time. That can't be comfortable." Beginning July 1, all Oregon drivers, including noncitizens, will have to show proof of U.S. citizenship and/or legal presence to get, renew or replace a driver's license. The requirement is in addition to a separate rule that took effect Feb. 4. The rule was part of an executive order issued in November by Kulongoski. Under that rule, people seeking to obtain, renew or replace an Oregon driver's license must submit proof of identity, Oregon residency and a verifiable Social Security number. The changes aren't just having an impact on undocumented immigrants. "Our sales have dropped by 50 percent," said Clara Lopez, who leads the financing department at Bob's Auto & Truck Sales in Woodburn, where Hispanics had accounted for 90 percent of the customer base. "Many of them have returned their cars to us because their license has expired or will expire after the new law takes effect," Lopez said. "It's hurt our business so much that we've had to lay off workers, and next we're probably going to be cutting back on advertising." Salem Nissan doesn't plan to cut back on its advertising, but management is concerned that the new law could take a bite out of business. Hispanics make up 35 percent of the dealer's customer base. "Because they tend to have large families, we stock vehicles specifically for Latino (immigrant) families, like used SUVs," said Sean Alderman, the dealership's sales manager. "But if I can't get them financing because they don't have a driver's license, that's going to hurt us." At Santana Insurance Agency in Keizer, a Farmers affiliate, insurance cancellations are on the rise. So are insurance rates. "Because those driving without a driver's license can't get auto insurance, (licensed) drivers in the state will soon seen their insurance rates go up because of uninsured motorist coverage," said Beth Mora, a customer-service representative at the agency. "You can expect to see up to a 10 percent increase any time now." Not all undocumented immigrants lack driver's licenses. Months before Kulongoski's executive order took effect in February, crowds of noncitizen immigrants descended on the Mexican Consulate in Portland to get identification cards that allowed them to obtain an Oregon driver's license, which is valid for eight years. The state's Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division did not have data available Wednesday about the number of immigrants who sought licenses in advance of the February change. "What we have seen is a 90 percent drop in the number of fraud alerts by people coming from other states to get an Oregon driver's license," DMV spokesman David House said. "That's what the governor's executive order and Senate Bill 1080 were designed to do — to take away that incentive." |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #13 bigjim-ky, they can afford these big cars because they don't pay for anything else. The uninsured motorist insurance is already high, they'll probably use this news to raise rates even more. Wonder how many illegals are voting in Oregon.... |
| Posted by: Jan 2008-06-13 15:14 |
| #12 So, this is supposed to raise my insurance rates by 10%? That's according to Beth Mora of Santana Ins. agency , a Farmer's affiliate in Keizer, Oregon. I'm insured by Farmers of Oregon. I'm wondering if Beth has taken into account that drunk drivers and illegals are overrepresented in the uninsured driver colliders? Noone knows how many illegals will leave Oregon as a result of this law, but many will. With what I know, it seems possible that we will have fewer uninsured driver collisons. we just don't know. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-06-13 13:22 |
| #11 Wish I could afford a new Tahoe. But I'm only a honky, breeder, citizen. That puts me at the bottom of the heap I guess. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-06-13 13:00 |
| #10 It's an interesting thought - fingerprints instead of ID's. It certainly makes it harder to fabricate - though I'm sure it can be done. But then the current licenses can be doctored as well. But - in a sense, you are both making the same argument. You still need to go pass a test and (supposedly) prove who you are. Just the actual form of identification would change. |
| Posted by: Sninert Black9312 2008-06-13 12:29 |
| #9 tipover: Okay, you say their needs are legitimate. But my question is "what needs"? Remember that a driver's license is supposed to be limited to one thing, driving. Other uses for it are less legitimate, because other forms of ID are just as good. I mentioned the use of fingerprints, because they are such a good identifier that even banks are now using them for check authentication. I think that in Minnesota(?), the police regularly check your index fingerprint when they pull you over. The computer does the rest, and it takes a lot of subjectivity out of the process. Why carry a license when you wear one all the time? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-06-13 12:10 |
| #8 Under the new law, illegal immigrants will not be eligible to obtain, renew or replace an Oregon driver's license. Well then come on down. Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) has no problems allowing MVD to issue a drivers license to you with appropriate |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-06-13 11:22 |
| #7 "Moose, I'm sorry you have a poor opinion of the DMV and it's function in your State. However not all live on the East Coast and the reasons for the DMV and a VALID drivers license and motorcycle endorsements are legitimate. Sloppy enforcement of the law is not a legitimate excuse. Sounds like oversight is required in Florida if your analysis is correct. The requirement for proof of ID and residency as required to use a drivers license as a federally recognized ID will in the long term be of great benefit to the US and it's citizens. |
| Posted by: tipover 2008-06-13 11:01 |
| #6 "Our sales have dropped by 50 percent...Because they tend to have large families, we stock vehicles specifically for Latino (immigrant) families, like used SUVs." Oh c'mon now. High gas prices have hit the SUV market nationwide. Get back to us when the sales of Low-Riders with the dingle-ball interiors start to slump. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2008-06-13 10:51 |
| #5 In Florida, there are so many unlicensed drivers, in the hundreds of thousands, the police have given up doing anything about it. Instead their priority is *bad* drivers, who are just as likely to be licensed as not. Srsly? Maybe Ima can get off the bike then. |
| Posted by: George Smiley 2008-06-13 09:35 |
| #4 I would like to throw in the odd argument: why do we need driver's licenses at all? Not as ridiculous a question as it sounds. In Florida, there are so many unlicensed drivers, in the hundreds of thousands, the police have given up doing anything about it. Instead their priority is *bad* drivers, who are just as likely to be licensed as not. So if safety is not the issue, then what is the purpose of a driver's license? To prevent car theft? In truth, it is only marginally helpful for that. At least one State now takes fingerprints with any traffic stop. So far that has proven a lot more effective than licensing, importantly, even to determine immigration status. Last but not least, State DMVs are terribly expensive, inefficient and corrupt. Since States need to issue photo IDs for identification as well, the process would be a lot "cleaner" if they eliminated driver's licensing altogether. Most people need a photo ID for their daily business, but combining it with a driver's license creates lots of unnecessary problems. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-06-13 08:57 |
| #3 I call BS - illegals don't carry insurance. That's what your "uninsured motorist coverage" is for |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-06-13 06:26 |
| #2 Two kinds of folks commenting - it's hopeless, we must let anarchy reign, and those to hope to accomplish something positive. The former must want more Democratic voters. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-06-13 06:09 |
| #1 I love how the reporter immediately goes to a rip-off used car lot to get a story about how sales are down. It's as if the reporter has some sort of agenda to advance, and he's doing it with this story. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-06-13 05:55 |