Pink Stripe On Illegal Immigrants' Driver's Licenses Considered In Nc

[latinagirl 46]

Pink stripe on illegal immigrants' driver's licenses considered in NC

North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles via WCNC

The new North Carolina license declares to everyone that the bearer has "no lawful status."

By The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — A new North Carolina driver's license set to be issued to some illegal immigrants has a bright pink stripe and the bold words "NO LAWFUL STATUS," raising concerns about whether the design will brand those who show it.

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles announced last week that it would begin issuing the licenses March 25 following a lengthy legal review. The Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program grants valid federal work permits to qualified applicants brought to the U.S. as children without legal authorization.

Some Republican lawmakers in the state have balked at the idea, filing a bill Thursday to bar the DMV from granting the licenses until at least June.

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Cinthia Marroquin, 22, of Raleigh, head organizer for NC DREAM Team, an immigrant rights group, is awaiting approval for a DACA permit. She said the longer the license issue is delayed, the longer it will take for her to get a job and drive herself to work. Even if she is able to get one, she is worried about presenting a license declaring she has "NO LAWFUL STATUS" at a police roadblock or while writing a check at the grocery store.

"A lot of us are just scared," said Marroquin, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 15. "We just want to be able to get a job and drive to work. Having that license is just going to show everybody you're here illegally, just buying a beer or writing a check. You don't know how people might react."

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina also takes issue with the designation.

"North Carolina should not be making it harder for aspiring citizens to integrate and contribute to our communities by branding them with a second-class driver's license," said ACLU attorney Raul Pinto. "There is simply no reason for officials to stigmatize people who are in the U.S. legally with an unnecessary marker that could lead to harassment, confusion, and racial profiling."

Almost from the moment President Barack Obama announced the program in June, states across the country grappled with how and whether to issue driver's licenses to those granted legal presence.

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it is up to officials in each state to make their own determination about what to do. Many states, including Oregon and Georgia, have announced that they will grant driving privileges to those eligible.

In Arizona, where Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has pledged that DACA youths will not get driver's licenses, the state's DMV still lists federal work permits among the documents making people eligible for one.

The issue is especially politically charged in North Carolina, where current state law ordains a driver's license will be issued to anyone who holds valid federal documentation of their "legal presence" in the United States.

The office of the state's Democratic attorney general in an opinion last month said that under federal law, DACA participants have a "legal presence," even if they do not have "lawful status." Therefore, state law requires that DACA participants be granted licenses. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's administration agreed, announcing last week the DMV would begin issuing the licenses.

That has upset many conservatives in McCrory's own party, including Rep. Mark Brody, R-Union. He is one of four freshmen legislators who introduced a bill Thursday to bar the DMV from issuing licenses to DACA participants before June 15, potentially giving time to craft a permanent change to state law.

Brody said he believes strongly that the DACA program violated the U.S. Constitution because it was implemented without congressional approval. Obama said last year he was forced to take executive action by the decades-long failure of Congress to consider meaningful immigration reform.

"We need a time out," said Brody, a construction contractor. "We don't need to have the federal government dictating to us how we are supposed to issue licenses in this state. We do it, and that's a privilege we have under our Constitution."

Among the concerns raised by Brody and other bill sponsors is that illegal immigrants might use their new licenses to access social programs or register to vote, despite the bright pink markings. An extensive 2011 review of the state's 6.4 million registered voters by the N.C. Board of Elections found 12 instances where a non-citizen successfully cast a ballot.

Jose Rico, a 23-year-old Raleigh resident from Mexico who has already been issued DACA work permit, said he plans to be in line at the DMV on March 25 to get a license, even if it's pink. He will be extremely disappointed if state legislators pass a bill delaying or a denying his ability to do so.

"I don't know what's wrong with these people, why they're so afraid of people like me," said Rico, who has lived in the U.S. since he was 13. "It's so frustrating. I passed a federal background check, done everything right by the book. I'm paying taxes. I mean, we're just kids trying to go to school."

[Rawf 336]

That is so messed up, it irritates me that we are being labeled as different when obviously we passed all the "tests" to get approved like Rico said.

I'm so glad RI doesn't mark our IDs/Licenses.

[splif0clock 89]

racial profiling would take place with this crap ...

[taramo35 27]

That's just sad

[Gezinha 121]

That is absurd, just makes me sad to think that this will probably never be over for us DACA applicants. Thankfully they don't to that here in Mass. This is an excuse for being profiled and criticized, look down on. This means they think we are not the same, we are different and do not deserve this. I am sure many years from now this will change, but they want to make us feel ashamed for something that is not any fault of our own. Hate damn republicans.

[JoseG 383]

That's just down right discrimination. There is no need for the different color stripe across the top and the "NO LAWFUL STATUS"

They already have "LIMITED TERM" on them.

[hunninutz 50]

!!!!!!!

[JoseG 383]

It also says on the back "LEGAL PRESENCE EXPIRES" then it has the date your EAD expires.

[Gezinha 121]

This is the article that on the news..there are 2 pictures there.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283234/North-Carolina-slammed-branding-illegal-immigrants-second-class-drivers-license-says-NO-LAWFUL-STATUS.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[Rawf 336]

Has no lawful all over the card. That's so messed up!

How can people be so hateful!! :,(

Here is a pic of the comment from the article provided above by Gezinha.

[Osha 126]

I'm sick and tired of these old, angry, evangelical white men who think that this country belongs to them and them only. Its always been the same haters decade after decade giving minorities in this country a tough life. They've blocked all meaningful immigration reforms time and time again. They are just haters lets just call them for who they are, they are hateful greedy bastards.They love to make other peoples lives miserable while they thrive, and they run around claiming that they are god loving people. Bullsh*t!

"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated"

--- Coretta Scott King.

[splif0clock 89]

I'm sick and tired of these old, angry, evangelical white men who think that this country belongs to them and them only. Its always been the same haters decade after decade giving minorities in this country a tough life. They've blocked all meaningful immigration reforms time and time again. They are just haters lets just call them for who they are, they are hateful greedy bastards.They love to make other peoples lives miserable while they thrive, and they run around claiming that they are god loving people. Bullsh*t!

Remember , most of these folks are not only White Americans ! there are some foreigners as well.

[Osha 126]

Remember , most of these folks are not only White Americans ! there are some foreigners as well.

True, but the majority of them are older white men, who by the tend to be more political and they tend to use the immigration issue as a wedge issue. Just look at the anti-immigration protesters or the hateful thing that they spew in town hall meetings like the one John McCain had last week (they're almost all older white men). I'm just stating a fact as controversial it may be, its just the fact.

[splif0clock 89]

True, but the majority of them are older white men, who by the tend to be more political and they tend to use the immigration issue as a wedge issue. Just look at the anti-immigration protesters or the hateful thing that they spew in town hall meetings like the one John McCain had last week (they're almost all older white men). I'm just stating a fact as controversial it may be, its just the fact.

Ohh I got your point, I was just saying there are some ignorant immigrants that completely forget how they got here.

[amor 112]

Hmm.. people might not see the pink stripe or the stamped "NOT LEGAL" all over the ID... maybe they should photoshop us green and add little antennaes so we REALLY look like aliens then! Cause you know... they were here a whole 2, 3, 4 years longer than us.

[hunninutz 50]

.... Thanks for the image Jose =>

[nemo 0]

that is so unpleasant. How do they even dare to do that. There going back to ww2 how they made the Jews wear the yellow star. We are all human they need us like we need them. It sucks that just because of some documents we are discriminated and will continue after we get them. Seems like we will never be treated equally.

[imayardie 0]

I would take that pink strip lol az isn't even granting us driversllicense

[Minorflaw 0]

Latest Update i believe is they ditched the pink stripe and just left the "Legal Presence / No Lawful Status" in red letters in the front.

 

I've lived in NC since I was 8, sucks but at least we get licenses. Unlike AZ. Im still working to get mine, but Im pretty sure it'll be like i just described.