Every time I read a story in my favorite newspaper about a DUI checkpoint, I'm amazed at the number of impounded cars that are collected by Fresno police. It's usually three times as many impounds as motorists being arrested for driving while intoxicated. There must be a reason for the disparity, so I called Sgt. Eric Eide, Fresno's traffic enforcement guru.
Here are the facts: On Wednesday night at Palm and Pinedale avenues, nine drivers were arrested on suspicion of DUI during a checkpoint operation in which typically 3,000 cars pass through. There were 29 vehicles impounded because the drivers didn't have valid licenses,
Eide said the reason is simple. . . most of the drivers who did not have licenses were undocumented immigrants. It's a reflection of the region's demographics, Eide said. A smaller number of violators were driving on suspended licenses.
The immigrants were otherwise obeying the law, Eide said. Their children were buckled into car seats. Everyone was wearing seat belts. The drivers weren't drunk or on drugs. They just didn't have drivers licenses because of their immigration status.
Seems to me to be another reason that California should allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. We'd all be safer and it sure would be fairer to those whose cars are being impounded. But the public reacts negatively when someone proposes granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants and the proposal never becomes law.
Maybe we can sell off the cars and help fund border security.
"Seems to me to be another reason that California should allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. We'd all be safer and it sure would be fairer to those whose cars are being impounded. But the public reacts negatively when someone proposes granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants and the proposal never becomes law." - Jim Boren
There are good reasons for the negative public reaction to such a proposal. For one thing, many Americans feel that illegal immigrants are cheating the system - skipping ahead of the many people who have been waiting, often for five or more years, for the chance to immigrate to America. Many of us know someone who has family members waiting for that very chance. They come from Europe, South America, the Middle and Far East, and from Africa; they are doctors, scientists, professors, Olympic Medal contenders - and the illegal immigrants cut the line. "Fairer to those whose cars are being impounded." Humph; I'd rather see a discussion of whether it's "fairer" for those who have been waiting twelve years for the chance to migrate legally.
Some people feel that the law would be a moot point in the first place. If you don't mind living here illegally when we have a perfectly good system of waiting your turn to immigrate, the reasoning goes, you might not want to go to the bother of drivers' ed classes, a six month permit, and then driving tests - even if there is a law allowing this. (Especially when costs rise - drivers' ed isn't cheap, nor is auto insurance.)
Still other folks point out that there aren't that many people who are affected by these car impoundments. It isn't too hard to get a fake ID if you know the right people and have seven hundred bucks. The odds of getting nicked at a drive-through checkpoint are pretty low - even if you don't have an ID or drivers licence on hand at the time. (I've seen checkpoints where only every third car is checked. Those aren't bad odds, especially if traffic is backed up in such a way that a concerned individual might guess at the existence of the checkpoint and take a side street or alternate route, thereby avoiding the checkpoint entirely.)
Another argument goes that we shouldn't make any more of an effort to blur the line between American citizen and illegal immigrant. Sure, no one really wants to split apart a family by deporting, say, one parent of a couple. But many Americans also think that closing emergency rooms, higher infrastructure maintenence costs, overburdened schools, and higher crime rates are too much of a price to pay for making it easy to live illegally in the United States.
I have two questions:
1. How is giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens going to make us safer?
2. Are illegal aliens in Mexico given driver's licenses?
Jim,Let me remind you that I fired off aletter to the editor about this-2years ago!It had to do with the nifty way Fresno police were harvesting illegal alien's vehicle and asked you to follow the money trail.Maybe if the 12 million or so illegals weren't on the roads that would reduce congestion and have you noticed that congestion on our freeways has exploded since 1986 when amnesty was granted last?Food for thought.Why would you want to reward bad behavior by issuing CDL's so that the system can be further exploited more easily?If you take away the '86 amnesty and the children born to those folks and then take away the 12 million or so illegals and their children who are citizens because they were born here just how many of the total hispanics in California and the rest of the USA actually migrated here legally.
Brian: I don't remember the letter, but your point on that issue is a good one. However, on the question of drivers licenses, I think it's a good idea because we then can track their driving through the license (including whether they have too many traffic tickets, DUI's), and they will be able to get insurance, which protects you and me in case of an accident.
But giving them a drivers license doesn't change their immigration status. However, it would help us keep track of them.
But until you demand that the feds arrest every farmer using illegal workers -- not just the workers, but the farmers, their wives and anyone else in the family profitting from the illegal labor -- then I don't think you're being intellectual honest about this issue. Agriculture encouraged the workers to come to the Valley, but you hold farmers harmless from the impact of their business practices on our region.
Jim,
Your intentions are good but why would the illlegals want to get a drviers licence if they know they're going to be tracked?
I guess they would apply because families already go to our kindergardens, grammer schools, high school, college with little to no hassles. Why not give them drivers licences to make our schools more accessible, and to make it easier to get to our hospitals as well.
It would be more efficient if we just pull out our check books and pay them as they cross the border.
I'm a sceptic on his whole issue, our representatives have no backbone on addressing these issues, with any resolve.
At least your taking a stab at it, this should be commended.
Impounding a vehicle for not having a drivers license does seem on the surface a bit harsh. However, I would assume the unlicensed persons driving those vehicles do not have auto insurance like all the rest of us must carry. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, insurance companies don't pay off when an unlicensed driver is behind the wheel. So, when they are involved in an auto accident, they skate. The person hit by them and their insurance company is stuck for all costs. Where is the fairness there? Like it or not, Illegals aren't entitled to drivers licenses. End of argument! I can't see where adding a ton more legal drivers (illegals granted drivers licenses) to our already congested roads and freeways will make us any safer. I might add, DMV tells you upfront driving is a privilege, not a right. What part of this don't people understand? By all means, do drive in Mexico without a valid drivers license and no auto insurance, and become involved in an auto accident. You will see what harsh treatment really is.
The real reason Fresno holds DUI Checkpoints is not to stop drunk driving but rather to generate revenue for the city from impound fees.
The other night, a checkpoint was held outside my place of business and I watched Fresno P.D. pull over and impound dozens after dozens of cars. Most of the cars were expensive ones with no apparent licence or equipment violations - many almost new. And almost all the drivers were either spanish or black.
One person told me they impounded his car because his drivers licence has been expired for just about amonth and they wouldn't allow his wife to drive the car home even though she was fully licenced and the vehicle had insurance.
Because of this incident, I know that Fresno Police is only in it for the money, not to stop drunk driving!