| February 3, 2005
IMMIGRANTS NEED YOUR HELP
TO DEFEAT THE "REAL ID ACT"
Tell Congress the REAL ID
ACT is NOT the Right Answer
Contact your member
of the House of Representatives TODAY and urge him
or her to oppose the “REAL ID ACT.”
On January 26, Representative
F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced legislation,
the “REAL ID Act,” which would impose a legal presence
requirement on all state driver’s licenses, meaning
that undocumented immigrants could not receive a driver’s
license. It would also create a different temporary
driver’s license for all legal immigrants on temporary
visas. The result would be more unlicensed, uninsured
drivers on the roads and increased discrimination
against immigrants who hold a different temporary
license.
The bill also includes
measures that would prevent persons fleeing persecution
from getting asylum in the U.S. and would authorize
the government to build more fences along the U.S./Mexico
border. None of these measures make us any safer.
Rather, they endanger immigrants and result in decreased
public safety.
This bill is likely
to be voted on early next week – PLEASE WRITE AND
CALL your representative TODAY!
Contacting Members of Congress
¨ Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121
and ask for your Representative’s office.
¨ For House members contact information see http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml.
¨ If you don’t want to call, you can email most members
from their website or fax them a written message.
Talking Points:
-
Congress already passed driver’s
license reforms. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 requires the federal government
to set federal standards for driver’s licenses,
including standards for documentation required
as proof of identity of an applicant; standards
for the processing of applications to prevent
fraud; standards for information to be included
on driver’s licenses; and security standards to
ensure that licenses are resistant to tampering,
alteration, or counterfeiting. The current process
allows the states to maintain their ability to
set eligibility standards, while also recognizing
the need to prevent identity theft and fraud.
-
Restrictions that prevent immigrants
from getting licenses will result in unsafe roads
and communities. Like all Americans, immigrants
must drive to work, to school, and the doctor.
As shown by recent evidence from states that issue
driver’s licenses regardless of applicants’ immigration
status, the number of uninsured drivers drops
when immigration restrictions are dropped.
-
This law would not have prevented
the 9/11 attacks. Nothing in the “REAL ID Act”
would have prevented the terrorists from getting
driver’s licenses – they were here lawfully.
-
Immigration law is complex and
there are many documents that prove legal status.
Driver’s license bureau workers do not have the
experience or the expertise to navigate immigration
law. Mistakes will be made, and many legal immigrants
will be denied licenses.
-
What we need is real immigration
reform; this bill is not the answer to our broken
immigration system. Denying driver’s licenses
and putting up fences will not fix our immigration
system. Remind your member of Congress that we
need to pass comprehensive immigration reform,
not the “REAL ID ACT.” CALL TODAY!
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