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January 17, 2003

Open Letter to the Arizona State Senate
State of Arizona
Phoenix, AZ.

Dear Senator(s),

I read in the Arizona Republic this morning that the Arizona Legislature will be considering legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain Arizona Driver's Licenses. This is a bad idea for several reasons and I would ask that you OPPOSE ANY SUCH LEGISLATION after considering the following:

1. These are people who have chosen not to follow normal INS procedures that would have provided them with the necessary documents to legally obtain a driver's license.

Rewarding illegal immigrants with privileges reserved for law-abiding citizens and legal immigrants make a mockery of the legal immigration process wherein those who obey the rules wait years to immigrate. It also sends the message that it's far easier and faster to obtain rights and privileges afforded to citizens and legal immigrants in the country by immigrating illegally then it is to wait for legal approval.

2. Issuing a State Driver's License to an illegal immigrant gives "standing" to a non-citizen for breaking the law.

The United States policy on immigration and work authorization is established by Congress and administered by federal agencies. So long as federal policy classifies persons as illegal aliens they should be viewed as such by the state. State law enforcement agencies should not institute policies that contradict federal law. In this country, driving legally is a privilege, not a right. Persons who are convicted of driving while intoxicated, who receive too many speeding tickets, and/or are otherwise proven unsafe to drive can lose their driving privileges. Why should illegal immigrants, who refuse to accept the rules of society on immigration, receive favored treatment over Arizona drivers (including legal immigrants) who are held accountable for their actions?

3. Advocates want the State to issue drivers licenses to persons who lack secure identity documents, at a time when there is clear evidence of increasing use of fraudulent documents to obtain state identification.
When any applicant (immigrant or otherwise) for identification purposes, lacks a valid identity document, the state doesn't know if the person is a convicted criminal, revoked driver, or if they have stolen the very identity they intend to assume. The security of identity documents is important for another reason. Driver's licenses are used not only to distinguish legal drivers, but also to establish identity for voting, law enforcement, employment, credit, and retail transactions. If the state were to eliminate security safeguards, more than legal driving status will be affected... retailers and the general public could be significantly harmed.

4. Advocates argue that they want to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants so they will be safer drivers.

This argument is completely without merit and is a transparent attempt to turn the illegal immigrant problem into a public safety issue. There is no evidence that if illegal immigrants received driver's licenses, they would enroll in driver education programs, obtain insurance, and refrain from fleeing the scene of an accident. Common sense dictates that an individual who is in this country illegally would not wait around at an accident site for the police to arrive... license or no license. The Department of Public Safety should not facilitate illegal immigration.

Finally, it is important to note that very reason many immigrants seek residency here is because our government doesn't allow its officials to pick and choose which laws they will enforce. In essence, advocates for ignoring our immigration policy seek to give government the discretion to selectively enforce the law. I believe it is the mission of government to enforce all laws equally.

Sincerely,

Douglas Thomas
Phoenix, AZ

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