The Illinois TVDL: Win-Win Situation

By: Daniel Nardini

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Commentary Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation into law that will allow for undocumented to have what are called temporary visitor’s driver’s licenses (TVDL). These TVDL’s are good for three years (as opposed to the regular five year driver’s licenses for those people with Social Security numbers), and those who obtained these licenses must undergo driver’s tests and be required to have automobile insurance. Only then can undocumented have these temporary driver’s licenses. These TVDL’s mean three things. First, it means that all drivers on the road will now have insurance so that if there is an accident then at least all are covered. Second, it means that the undocumented no longer have to run the risk of driving illegally within Illinois (these licenses will not be considered legal outside the state for undocumented). Finally, it means that the undocumented can use these licenses for identification purposes not just on the road, but in everyday life.

As I said before, driver’s licenses and state identification cards are the best means of identification for any and all individuals. This will allow undocumented to open up banking accounts, be able to enter buildings, and be used if they are victims of a crime. Many immigration opponents will say that this is awarding “illegals.” No, this is a measure for trying to protect the public at-large and make Illinois roads safer. If a person has some form of identification, and are not judged by their immigration status, then they are more likely to try and obey the laws and cooperate with law authorities if they or someone they know are victims of crime. This, of course, will not change their immigration status, and they still have to be wary of federal authorities or even going outside the State of Illinois. This measure simply brings them sort-of out of the shadows and helps to give them some stability in not only their lives but in the lives of all residents of Illinois. If the undocumented are victimized, how far can it be before U.S. citizens are victimized directly or indirectly?

There is the concern of some immigration opponents that Illinois temporary driver’s licenses could become the hot piece of fraud by criminals. That is possible, but I must point out that any and all driver’s licenses are possible targets for being altered. These driver’s licenses can be distinguished by the fact that they are “temporary.” They are therefore different from those regular driver’s licenses issued to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. Another safeguard—already built into driver’s licenses through every state in the United States—are certain ink marks and holographic images built into driver’s license and state ID cards. Still another safeguard are the photos on every driver’s license taken by special cameras that store these images into a state database.

Unlike the State of Utah, which requires that all driver’s must submit a fingerprint, Illinois does not do this. The Illinois legislature correctly understood that if a fingerprint is required, it would be required by law to be sent to U.S. immigration. You can be sure that undocumented persons would not want to have this happen, and would be reluctant to get a driver’s license under this circumstance. The Illinois state government was wise to throw this requirement out—it would not help ensure public safety nor road safety which is the cornerstone of the new Illinois law. With all of the other safeguards in place, a fingerprint would be unnecessary. Whatever imperfections there may be with the new Illinois law governing driver’s licenses and state identification cards, this new law fulfills the requirement that it was made for—namely public safety and road safety regardless of people’s immigration status. In that sense, the new law is a win-win situation for all.

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