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ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, GANGS, AND UNLICENSED DRIVERS

November 13, 2003

It appears that Mexicans believe that they not only have a God-given right to "migrate" to the United States, the right that Americans deny to them because of racism and xenophobia, and that Mexicans deny to other nations because Mexico is a sovereign country that is free to enforce her border and immigration laws, but also that once they put their foot on American soil, legally or otherwise, they are automatically entitled to driving privileges, subject only to passing of a traffic regulations and driving test.

The recent controversy regarding the now infamous BS 60 "Illegal Aliens Driver's License Bill" passed earlier this year, clearly reveals what's on the minds of our Mexican "friends". As if State of California and its governor, legislature, and electorate had a duty of securing approval from Mexican nationals on both sides of the border before enacting changes to the existing laws, various spokesmen and organizations representing Mexican "migrants" in the U.S. already threatened with retaliation if the BS 60 does not become a law on January 1, 2004 or if it's repealed by the state legislature. Per Associated Press, Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, a Santa Ana-based self-proclaimed "immigrants advocacy group" warned that "they will stage work stoppages and other actions" if the bill that allows those who are in this country illegally to apply for and obtain California driver's licenses is rescinded, supposedly, out of gratitude for our not deporting their paisanos back to where they illegally came from (see this article).

The issue became a matter of major concern for Mexican lawmakers, as well. The legislature of Baja California was expected to declare Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger a "Persona Non Grata" because of his "anti-Mexican positions and policies in Alta California" (see this item) ; notice a Bustamante-style "misspelling" of Arnold's last name in the title of that article). A Mexican Legislator, Elsa de la Paz Esquivel, said that "it is absurd and reprehensible for the governor[-elect] to support and promote such racist campaigns against immigrants, above all in California, where 25 per cent of the population is Latino and of that percentage, 75 per cent is of Mexican descent" (see this article). Finally, a Mexican official admits, however implicitly, that these are mostly Mexican nationals who break American law and who drive without a license. (Interestingly, he characterizes a law as "racist" if these are mostly, if not exclusively, Mexicans who violate it.)

Although several groups of immigrants of non-Mexican origin expressed their concern with legislation that favors illegal aliens of Mexican ancestry at the expense of others (see this item), some supports of BS 60, including its very author, California senator Gill Cedillo, attempt to justify it using a nationality-neutral "common sense" argument. Per Mercury News (see this article), they "argue [that] it is better to let the estimated 2 million illegal immigrants of driving age in California get licenses, since many will drive anyway. At least then they would have to pass a driving test."

Huh?!

Meanwhile, Press Telegram ("Joint effort moves on gangs", Nov. 6, 2003, front page) estimates that in Los Angeles county there are 96,000 gang members known to the police. Apparently, Mexican nationals have had their lion share in this "membership", yet the law enforcement agencies turn their blind eye on gang members' "immigration status" and very rarely turn those suspected of being in the U.S. illegally to federal authorities for possible deportation. As if we, the Americans, had a duty to "re-educate" criminally-minded aliens, Sheriff Baca was quoted insisting that "we can't arrest our way out of the gang problem," and he proposed training hundreds of mentors who would help gang members "see beyond the gang life they have adopted," instead. I was kinda surprised that Baca did not go further with his progressive approach to the safety of ours and did not "argue [that] it is better to let the estimated 96,000 gang members in California get firearm permits, since many will carry guns anyway. At least then they would have to pass a firearm safety test." That would go along pretty well with Sen. Cedillo's "logic" of "safety" argument quoted above.

Well, despite the wishful thinking of the open border (but only with Mexico) lobby, testing alone doesn't make anyone or anything safer if strict enforcement is not an integral part of it. Except for making it more difficult for those who enforce the law to catch those who violate it, what good for public safety a licensing of lawbreakers can do if those who don't have a license can, and most likely will, continue their unlawful activity, as so many of them have been doing so far? Although American public seems to be divided on the issue of summarily repatriating of all illegal aliens to their countries of origin, overwhelming majority do agree that those illegals who are actually caught violating the law (be it driving without a license or a membership in a gang of criminals) should be expeditiously deported. And this is thee solution our elected officials and law enforcement agencies must make their topmost priority if they are really serious about making our roads and our streets safer.

REFERENCES

[1] "Immigrant drivers license law supporters try to
save measure"
The Associated Press
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/state/20031019045443.shtml

[2] "Schwarzenigger [sic!] to be declared `Persona Non
Grata'
by the Baja California Legislature"
LA VOZ DE AZTLAN NEWS BULLETIN
Los Angeles, Alta California
http://aztlan.net/schwarzeneggernongrata.htm

[3] "Schwarzenegger, an immigrant who is against
undocumented immigrants"
By Claudia Soto
QUEPASA.COM
http://quepasa.com/content/?c=104&id=211964

[4] "License law stirs up talk
And it's not all good"
By Will Shuck
http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/111203/news/articles/111203-gn-2.php

[5] "Controversial license law looks doomed
LATINOS ADD VOICE TO BACKLASH OVER IMMIGRANTS' DRIVING
RIGHTS"
By Laura Kurtzman
Mercury News
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7225973.htm

[6] "Join effort moves on gangs"
By Kristopher Hanson
November 6, 2003, page A1 and A5
Press-Telegram

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