It seems immigrants cannot catch a break under the brutal attacks by the Trump Administration and tough Republicans in charge of implementing statewide laws nationwide. Proof of legal status is needed for registering or renewing vehicles.
In a bold move aimed at preventing undocumented people from lawfully owning cars, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will enforce stricter government photo identification requirements for all vehicle registrations and renewals in the Lone Star State.
Proof of Legal Status
The new regulation requires the presentation of current picture identification, such as a passport or state driver’s license, when new vehicle registrations or renewals are made.
State Rep. Brian Harrison, a firebrand Republican from Midlothian, Texas, initiated the action by sending a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office demanding action be taken in the days before the new policy was announced.
“Texas should be leading the fight against illegal immigration, not incentivizing it,” the letter read. “This is unacceptable. DMV’s policy of allowing illegals to register vehicles not only incentivizes illegal immigration but also endangers Texas drivers and causes vehicle insurance to skyrocket.”
The law went into effect on November 18.
Dmv
According to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), the new rule was announced to county tax offices on November 18 and went into effect right away. The policy change was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
DMV officials also notified statewide licensed auto dealers on November 19 that a customer’s approved photo identification must be presented during sales. A DMV spokesperson said the new guidance is “intended to ensure the validity of identification documents required as part of the state’s vehicle registration process.”
“We’ve been endangering Texas drivers for too many years. I think this has been one of the drivers of skyrocketing vehicle insurance premiums, as well as facilitating illegal immigration,” Harris further explained.
Valid Forms of ID
The DMV’s list of approved identification sent to dealers in Texas requires:
- Texas driver’s license
- Unexpired U.S. passport;
- Texas License to Carry identification;
- IDs issued by the U.S. military,
- Department of Homeland Security,
- Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State.
The new registration rules will most likely prevent “hundreds of thousands” of undocumented immigrants from registering vehicles in Texas. State Rep. Brian Harrison said that’s what the new policy will do. Harrison had repeatedly criticized the DMV about its registration policy allowing undocumented immigrants to register vehicles and ordered the department to take action.
SIze of Undocumented Population
An estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants live in Texas.
“I was outraged when I learned from a source that it was happening, and of course, I dug in on my own [and] independently verified this was going on,” Harrison said. “And it should be noted, I was the only elected Republican in Texas calling for this, to the best of my knowledge. The only one.”
Harrison alleged undocumented immigrants in the state had driven up car insurance premiums and increased danger on the roads.
Immigration Advocates
Immigration advocates weren’t happy at all. They argued the policy will add a burden on individuals and families who live and work in car-centric Texas. The change has also created confusion within the community.
“The calls are flooding in with people just asking questions,” said Monica Rodriguez, who runs a title and insurance agency in Austin. “It’s not just paperwork that this is blocking. This is blocking survival. Families without legal status can’t legally drive to work or get groceries … if their registration is expired, so everyday life just becomes unsafe and stressful.”
Immigrant Rights Viewpoint
Emily Heger, a Texas A&M law professor and director of the university’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, pointed to similar concerns in her email to The Texas Tribune. She added that the shift would ensnare various groups of people-such as asylum applicants and lapsed DACA recipients who’d lived in the U.S. for a long time or have federal work authorization and pay taxes.
Rodriguez and Alycia Castillo, the Texas Civil Rights Project’s associate director of policy, said this change would also harm all Texans-from economic losses to public safety challenges.
“We are all less safe with hundreds, potentially, of unregistered vehicles on the road,” Castillo said. “Every Texan is going to be damaged by this cruel practice that was just meant to harm immigrants.”
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Houston News Today Editor C.Walker can be reached at Houstonnewstoday@yahoo.com
