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IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS ADVOCATES URGE GOV. BUSH TO ABANDON DRIVERS LICENSE
RULES THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NON-CITIZENS
February 22, 2002
Miami ? In a letter sent to Governor Jeb Bush today, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida and numerous other groups that advocate on behalf of immigrants urged the governor to abandon new drivers license regulations that target immigrants, charging the policy of confiscating 'suspicious' documents and policing immigration status discriminates against foreigners living in this state.
As part of its new anti-terrorism measures, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles adopted policy changes in rules governing drivers license applications, restricting all non-citizens ? including those holding permanent residency green cards ? to 10 of the state's 143 license offices to obtain or renew their drivers licenses. Those offices are located in Miami-Dade, Broward, Pinellas and Orange counties. The new administrative policy is outlined in Executive Order No. 300.
In the letter, community leaders representing groups including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (South Florida Chapter), Church World Services Miami, and the American Venezuelan Business League, urge the governor to rescind the Executive Order and oppose pending legislative bills that, if approved, would "have a significant effect on hardworking, law-abiding people."
"Rather than implementing effective measures that will make us all safer, the state is using ethnic scapegoating to single out non-citizens who pay taxes, raise children and contribute to the livelihood of this state," said Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida.
While singling out immigrants by limiting the number of licensing offices serving non-citizens, the restrictions also:
- Hurt the agriculture and tourism industries that rely heavily on immigrant workers.
- Lessen motor vehicle safety by creating circumstances that force untrained, unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road.
- Burden the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles with additional expenses at a time when the state is experiencing a financial crisis.
- Discriminate against people who are homeless who rely on state-issued identification to access social services, hospitals and government programs.
"In addition to being targeted at immigrants rather than terrorists, the new regulations will hurt all Floridians," said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, President of the ACLU's Greater Miami Chapter. "What will be the impact on motor vehicle insurance rates as the number of uninsured motorists increases as a result of these onerous and punitive provisions?"
For additional information/comment:
Contact:
ACLU: Howard Simon, Executive Director,
Alessandra Soler, Communications Director, (305) 576-2337, ext.
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FIAC: Cheryl Little, Executive Director, (305) 573-1106
