Colorado has some 180,000 illegal immigrants, many of whom work here, shop here, send their kids to school here and assuredly drive vehicles to get these things done. It makes perfect sense, we think, to know who these folks are, ensure they have minimum driving skills, and encourage them to have insurance.
That’s why we support what appears to be a struggling effort to get on the ballot a measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
It doesn’t make them legal. It doesn’t make them eligible to work here. It does, however, enable them to buy auto insurance and would require they show they’ve paid Colorado taxes.
What could be wrong with that?
Plenty, if you listen to opponents.
They say people who are in this country illegally shouldn’t be legitimized in any way. The ability to get a driver’s license would create an incentive, drawing illegal immigrants to Colorado.
Illegal immigrants, they say, should be deported and forced to apply for legal entry.
The problem is that deporting about 11.5 million unauthorized immigrants would be a wholly impractical and disruptive task. It’s not going to happen.
Instead of continuing to force this population underground, it makes sense to us to have a better handle on who they are.
Initiative 52 would require applicants to prove Colorado residency in order to get a license. It would mandate applicants show a birth certificate, passport or other document issued by the person’s country of origin.
The benefits are many.
If an illegal immigrant were involved in an accident, having insurance and a driver’s license would diminish the incentive to leave the scene before authorities arrive. It would encourage a greater sense of cooperation between illegal immigrants and law enforcement. Having auto insurance would offer an obvious benefit.
Colorado’s law was changed in 1999 to require proof of legal residency in order to get a driver’s license. The idea was that such a requirement would drive illegal immigrants out of the country.
“They said that people would go home. That if we made it hard enough, they would all go away. We all know that did not happen,” said Jennifer Piper, one of the campaign organizers, according to an Associated Press story about the measure.
Unfortunately, supporters of Initiative 52 say their petition drive to gather the 86,000 signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot is going slowly.
If they fail in their efforts to gather the necessary support to put the question before voters, it would be an unfortunate demise for a sensible idea.
