Ban on Licenses for Illegal Drivers Has Unintended Consequences
Often, when lawmakers attempt to solve a problem by introducing new laws, the laws fix the old problem but introduce several new ones. According to the News & Observer, such a problem has arisen in North Carolina since the introduction of legislation that makes driver's licenses nearly impossible to obtain for illegal immigrants.
Prior to 2004, North Carolina reportedly had fairly permissive laws governing who could and could not obtain driver's licenses. Reports indicate that the DMV accepted several types of identification that illegal immigrants were likely to have access to, including identification cards issued by the Mexican government.
Apparently, the laws were designed to ensure that anyone driving in North Carolina, whether in the state legally or not, was familiar with the rules of the road and had auto insurance.
But, allegedly in an effort to crack down on "terrorism," the state tightened its laws and eliminated several acceptable forms of ID. In 2006, applicants for driver's licenses were required to have a valid Social Security Number or visa.
That means that illegal immigrants now have no way of renewing their driver's licenses. To legislators, this may have seemed like a great solution to illegal immigration: if immigrants didn't have any way of getting around the state (they must have figured), they'd leave and attempt to reenter through legal channels.
The actual consequences of this law, though, are much less straightforward. An estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants live in North Carolina, according to sources. As their old driver's licenses begin to expire, they're finding themselves unable to get new ones. Without a valid driver's license, they can't withdraw money from a bank account or get auto insurance.
States that deny licenses to illegal immigrants (like California) reportedly have higher rates of uninsured drivers than those that offer licenses to this group - in CA, a whopping 25% of drivers are uninsured.
And this affects every North Carolina driver: insurers charge drivers a fee to cover accidents caused by uninsured drivers. As the number of drivers without insurance increases, so do the fees charged by insurance providers. And new drivers without proper documentation have no legal way to learn the rules of the road.
This, some argue, makes driving more dangerous - and expensive - for everyone.
In an effort to enforce these stringent laws, police officers are allegedly setting up license checkpoints and arresting people for minor offenses like driving without a license and speeding. Sources report that 44% of charges for such traffic crimes are brought against Hispanic residents, despite the fact that they make up less than 7% of the total population.
And, once charged, many illegal drivers are evidently thrown into jail and even deported, despite the relatively minor nature of their crimes.
To many, these laws seem to have prohibitively negative side effects, yet they remain popular. A reported 42 states currently have similar laws in place, and, according to MLive.com, Michigan legislators are pushing for similar measures. It seems a federal law set to take effect in the near future will make the no-license for illegal immigrants a nationwide policy.
If you need help working out an immigration issue, consider contacting an immigration lawyer today.