Texas Department of Public Safety Cracking Down on Illegal Immigration
Posted on Oct 9, 2008 10:44am PDT
According to chron.com, Austin, Texas is ready to crack down on instances of illegal
immigration. Recently, the Department of Public Safety has issued a new policy that would require non-citizens to prove that they are in fact in the United States legally. If non-citizens cannot prove their legal status, they will not be allowed to obtain or renew their driver's licenses.
The crack down, which is started on October 1, 2008, is being applauded by Texas government officials, like Gov. Rick Perry. It is being looked at as a way in which the state can strength its' security and prevent illegal residency.
Gov. Perry said that Texas, "is a great place to live and work, and while we welcome legally documented individuals to the Lone Star State, we must ensure that this privilege is not abused by those seeking to enter our country illegally."
However, there is some opposition to the radical change. For example, Jim Barrington (Director of the Texas Civil Rights Project) feels that the change is a poor idea because illegal immigrants will not be dissuaded from coming to Texas. Rather, the illegal immigrants will simply drive without a valid license.
According to the change, no driver's licenses will be issued to anyone whose legal entry into the United States is set to expire in six months. Additionally, people who are not permanent residents or citizens must provide government documentation before they can obtain a driver's license or even a personal identification card.
Acceptable and valid documents must be issued by the Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Natu-ralization Service or Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Changes in Texas are expected to bring the state closer in compliance with the US REAL ID Act, which requires all states to provide immigrants with marked driver's licenses and ID cards.
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