Immigrant Lawsuit Against DPS

[Dynasty]

A news report from a TV station in Montgomery, AL. It will be interesting how this turns out.

 

Immigrant Lawsuit Against DPS

A lawsuit is filed against the Department of Public Safety by eight immigrants. The suit claims Alabama driver's license rules wrongly excludes hundreds of people living in the state. The immigrants argue that documents that are required to obtain a license are unavailable due to delays in processing by the Federal Government. Lawyers for DPS have argued in the past that the agency's rules must be strict to prevent illegal immigrants and terrorists from obtaining a driver's license.

[se_lang]

Lawyers for DPS have argued in the past that the agency's rules must be strict to prevent illegal immigrants and terrorists from obtaining a driver's license.

There is the magical phrase that makes everything ok "terrorists"

[keelec]

Lawyers for DPS have argued in the past that the agency's rules must be strict to prevent illegal immigrants and terrorists from obtaining a driver's license.

There is the magical phrase that makes everything ok "terrorists"

So, does this mean that Alabama considers all immigrants to be terrorists until proven otherwise?

 

When will they pass a law that no person with an accent can purchase lawn fertilizer? Gasoline? Propane?

 

Heck, why not just deport everyone that isn't white and wearing a swastika (or a hood).

[Dynasty]

Update: Good news. Can now get a AL drivers license.

 

http://www.alabamastatetrooper.com/dps_rev...t_licensing.htm

 

DPS revises immigrant licensing rule

 

The Associated Press

 

 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama has revised its immigrant driver's licensing rules to include a broader range of acceptable documents, a move taken after a lawsuit argued the rules wrongly excluded hundreds living legally in the state.

 

The main change announced Tuesday is the acceptance of foreign passports as a valid form of identification, effective May 17.

 

"We have adopted the broadest possible range of acceptable visas and other documentation of immigrants to allow for licensing and, at the same time, ensure positive identification and protect the integrity of Alabama's driver licensing system," said Col. Mike Coppage, director of the Department of Public Safety, in a statement.

 

Haran Lowe, an attorney for DPS, said because passports are required to enter the United States, virtually any foreign resident who entered legally is eligible for a driver's license under the new rule.

 

"Basically, this added the valid foreign passport as a primary identifier," said Lowe. "What we tried (to do) is be as loose as possible and guarantee the identification of people getting licenses."

 

However, immigrants seeking asylum or refugee status will have to produce federal documents that prove they are legally in the country.

 

The announcement followed a lawsuit filed nearly a month ago by eight immigrants. The suit contends that in some cases immigrants don't have the other required documents because they didn't need them to enter the country legally.

 

Ben Bruner, an attorney for immigrants, has said his clients often have Social Security numbers, work authorization permits and taxpayer ID numbers, proving the federal government accepts them as legal residents — but Alabama won't give them a driver's license.

 

Bruner did not immediately return phone calls by The Associated Press Tuesday.

 

Boyd Campbell, a Montgomery immigration attorney, said he believes the suit stands because, despite accepting foreign passports and more visa categories, DPS is still rejecting secondary documents issued by the federal government.

 

"Our position is that the Departments of Public Safety should not be in the business of enforcing federal immigration law," Campbell told the AP Tuesday. "After many months ... foreign passports are finally included, but the secondary list is full of documents they will not accept. For example, they do not include residency documents."

 

Lowe said he hadn't fully reviewed the lawsuit yet. But he said at least one of the plaintiffs, Dr. Fazal Rahim of Talladega, is now eligible for an Alabama license because he has a foreign passport.

 

Rahim was recruited to come work in Alabama because the state doesn't have enough doctors, according to Bruner. Rahim also already had a valid Ohio driver's license but was denied when he applied for one in Alabama, though he had a visa waiver.

 

That's because Alabama does not accept out-of-state licenses as positive identification, and at the time did not accept the foreign passport either.

 

Stringent rules are not only crucial to protect against illegal immigrants and terrorists, Lowe said, but also to safeguarding banks and other businesses from identity fraud.

[Robert S.]

. . . why hell no we don't want no damn Fazal Rahim to have a g_d_ driver's license in Alabama just look at him he ain't one of us . . hey Bubba hand me my beer. . . we should run all the immigrants out of the state . . .

[oregonknl]

New moto: "Oregon: The Terrorist State!"

 

(we will issue a driver's license to ANYONE!!)

 

but all these posts about state driver's licenses just go to show ---

 

--- TOTAL INCOMPETENCE BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!!

 

National security (Homeland Security) is SOLELY the role of the Federal government!!

 

--- Kim

[Robert S.]

. . . why hell no we don't want no damn Fazal Rahim to have a g_d_ driver's license in Alabama just look at him he ain't one of us . .  hey Bubba hand me my beer. . . we should run all the immigrants out of the state .  . .

Robert!!!!!

What? My fictional redneck was shocking to you? It is no secret that ignorance and racism are still strong forces in this country. Don't you think that the mistreatment of Chinese people by GZ is largely fueled by xenophobia?

[Trigg]

What?  My fictional redneck was shocking to you?  It is no secret that ignorance and racism are still strong forces in this country.  Don't you think that the mistreatment of Chinese people by GZ  is largely fueled by xenophobia?

Hmmm, I thought the mistreatment of people by GZ was directed more towards the American. After all, we are the petitioners. I kinda doubt that anyone would take a position that required them to move to a foreign country just so they can abuse the people that they have chosen for neighbors.

[Robert S.]

What?  My fictional redneck was shocking to you?  It is no secret that ignorance and racism are still strong forces in this country.  Don't you think that the mistreatment of Chinese people by GZ  is largely fueled by xenophobia?

Hmmm, I thought the mistreatment of people by GZ was directed more towards the American. After all, we are the petitioners. I kinda doubt that anyone would take a position that required them to move to a foreign country just so they can abuse the people that they have chosen for neighbors.

I'm talking about the highhandedness combined with lethargy that is institutionalized in the bureaucratic way of functioning at the embassy in Guangzhou. By extension we are abused by the DoS because we choose to become involved with persons of a nationality that America is historically prejudiced against.

[DaveR]

Robert it is not your fictional redneck that is the problem. I think it is the way people in the North percieve Southerners. I have seen as much discrimnation in states that thought they were progressive as I have in Missisippi. And I have lived in Mississippi longer. The highhandness displayed by DOS is not directed at any US state, but at the countries that our loved ones come from.

 

The US should be looking for terrorist from the countries that harbor them..Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afhganistan, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Philippines, Indonesia, and other terrorist sites.

 

It is the fact that Alabama like other states have fallen prey to the Bush tactic that all immigrants are terrorist until proven otherwise.

[Trigg]

What?  My fictional redneck was shocking to you?  It is no secret that ignorance and racism are still strong forces in this country.  Don't you think that the mistreatment of Chinese people by GZ  is largely fueled by xenophobia?

Hmmm, I thought the mistreatment of people by GZ was directed more towards the American. After all, we are the petitioners. I kinda doubt that anyone would take a position that required them to move to a foreign country just so they can abuse the people that they have chosen for neighbors.

I'm talking about the highhandedness combined with lethargy that is institutionalized in the bureaucratic way of functioning at the embassy in Guangzhou. By extension we are abused by the DoS because we choose to become involved with persons of a nationality that America is historically prejudiced against.

Hmmm, we went to their aid in the late '30s and early '40s. I doubt it is the nationality our Gov. has a problem with. Rather, It may be the political ideology.

[Robert S.]

What?  My fictional redneck was shocking to you?  It is no secret that ignorance and racism are still strong forces in this country.  Don't you think that the mistreatment of Chinese people by GZ  is largely fueled by xenophobia?

Hmmm, I thought the mistreatment of people by GZ was directed more towards the American. After all, we are the petitioners. I kinda doubt that anyone would take a position that required them to move to a foreign country just so they can abuse the people that they have chosen for neighbors.

I'm talking about the highhandedness combined with lethargy that is institutionalized in the bureaucratic way of functioning at the embassy in Guangzhou. By extension we are abused by the DoS because we choose to become involved with persons of a nationality that America is historically prejudiced against.

Hmmm, we went to their aid in the late '30s and early '40s. I doubt it is the nationality our Gov. has a problem with. Rather, It may be the political ideology.

I would reference the Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882.

[oregonknl]

I believe Robert is right..

 

.... and the whole issue of racism seems to be a reoccuring theme for those that have tried to enact immigration reform legislation.. (refering to my conversation with Sen. Smith's legislative aid --- Republican, OR)

[Trigg]

Hmmmmmm. Could it be as simple as GZ being overworked and underfunded? Maybe the conspiracy theory just sounds better?  .

I gotta go with Don on this one. But the real question is WHY are they underfunded and understaffed. Are all the consulates underfunded or just the ones from countries with differing political idealogies?

 

As for the exculsion act, thst is ancient history and may have served a racist purpose at the time. I honestly believe that racism has nothing to do with it and that if GZ is slower than the other consulates it is because a.) 1.5 billion people b.) they are underfunded for whatever reason.

 

The reason for the underfunding is the real question.

[Robert S.]

They use the underfunding as a tool to try and keep the numbers down. The argument comes full circle. Not one of our sweethearts could care less about Party ideology and our govt knows that. There is a degree of discrimination, which is not a conspiracy, but a fact.