Real ID Act Could Be A Real Pain For Immigrants

The issue of obtaining drivers’ licenses is continuing to generate worries in the immigrant community.
The House of Representatives recently approved implementation of the “Real ID Act,” which means that the citizenship status of anyone who aspires to have a license will have to be legal.
It now goes to the Senate, where it was expected to pass this week, and then onto the desk of President George Bush, who has already indicated he will sign the bill into law.
Once fully-approved, it will be required that every person who possesses a license or wishes to apply for one, must be in the United States legally, either as a citizen or with an appropriate visa. Any license issued to a person here on a visa would expire when the visa expired. This is in reaction mainly to combat a repeat of the actions of the 9/11 terrorists, most of whom obtained licenses that extended far beyond their visa’s expiration date.
States that do not meet all of the act’s guidelines within the first three years risk not having their licenses accepted as federally-approved forms of ID.
“This is a big problem that could generate discrimination, because not all police officers are kind when they stop someone and ask for their identification,” said Assemblymember Jose Peralta. “There are already comments about a possible amendment of such a law. That is why we are organizing meetings with immigrants’ rights groups, so we can exchange ideas about this matter.”
On the other hand, Manuel Juarez, president of the International Immigrants Foundation, said that the government’s move to provide better national security is a “noble cause, but as a result… our country will lose the privacy that has been its characteristic since its foundation” and also may promote an anti-immigrant feeling.
“The regulation of documentation used to be discussed at the state level, but now it is being made at a national level to justify the creation of a national identification that does not actually exist.” In fact, he said, only about 20 percent of Americans have a passport while the rest just have a birth certificate, a social security number or a driver’s license.
Juarez explained that in the last 20 years, and more recently because of the tragic events of September 11, the requirements for national identification have been growing ever-more stringent.
Facing this situation, Juarez recommended that immigrants begin the process of applying for legal residence in the country. “There are many ways to do it,” Juarez said.
The Real ID Act was passed as part of an $82 billion appropriations bill to fund the nation’s war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
elcorreo@queenscourier.com