BajaNomad

Drivers' licenses for Undocumenteds: No Hay 'edo Wey.

Braulio - 10-28-2004 at 09:57 PM

I'm going to be pulling a trailer with California plates with a pickup that has mexican plates from the Bay Area to Mexicali this weekend - so I stopped by the local CHP office to make sure everything was OK and legal - they told me that it was fine - that California had a reciprocal agreement with Mexico and that Mexicans with mexican drivers' licenses were treated the same as residents of California with regard to laws/requirements etc - that is a mexican with a mexican licensecan drive or tow a vehicle with plates from either country.

The CHP doesn't check immigration status - in fact it wants no prt of that.

So what's the hullabulloo over issuing drivers' licenses to undocumenteds?

Instead of issuing some quasi-official ID card why don't the mexican consulates just issue their paisnos mexican drivers' licenses?

Could there be some other motive on the part of the activists and the mexican Government here?

Hmmm.

Braulio - 10-28-2004 at 11:09 PM

I thought they wanted licenses so they could drive to work, school, appointments,etc.

As it stands now undocumenteds have their vehicles towed/impounded when they're stopped for minor infractions because they have no license or insurance.

The problem with the ID part is that in California the drivers' license is also used as a voting credencial.

I'm probably out of the loop here - I haven't followed the issue that closely - it just seemed like an obvious solution to a situation.

David K - 10-28-2004 at 11:36 PM

It is the issuing a legal document to an illegal person, that makes this a problem.

Those who have gone through the process to be here legally can get a license or use their Mexican license.

Calif. can't give an ID to someone who is not supposed to be here!

JESSE - 10-29-2004 at 04:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Braulio
Instead of issuing some quasi-official ID card why don't the mexican consulates just issue their paisnos mexican drivers' licenses?

Could there be some other motive on the part of the activists and the mexican Government here?

Hmmm.


Its simple, the Mexican federal goverment cannot issue driver licences, only states can do that ( by law), so its impossible to do it because in order for ilegals to get a drivers licence, they would need to go back to Mexico to get it, wich defeats the original purpose of this.

Dave - 10-29-2004 at 09:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
It is the issuing a legal document to an illegal person, that makes this a problem.

Those who have gone through the process to be here legally can get a license or use their Mexican license.

Calif. can't give an ID to someone who is not supposed to be here!


David, I can get a California license and I don't live there. What's the big deal?

David K - 10-29-2004 at 10:32 PM

Living there (here) is not the issue, it's being here illegally that is the issue. You can get one because you can provide a birth certificate or passport that proves you are in California legally, when you get one here.

My opinion

Bruce R Leech - 10-30-2004 at 09:31 AM

The only right any illegal alien in any country has is to be deported in a swift and humane way.

I know of hundreds of Americans in Mexico Illegally.

Did you Know that if you commit a illegal act in Mexico that alone makes you are in the country illegally.

Bruce R Leech Mulege Baja

Uh, er, yeah!!

jrbaja - 10-30-2004 at 10:07 AM

Good job on the spelling Bruce. That is a major improvement!:light:
Now we just have to work on "meanings" and placement.:biggrin:

Braulio - 10-30-2004 at 11:54 AM

The mexican Feds issue a "Licencia Federal" to their commericial truck drivers which is recognized in the US (basis of a different hullabaloo) so they must at least have the authority to issue drivers' licenses. - And as part of issing the ID cards that the consulates are giving out, I assume they are investigating the background of individuals at the State and local levels - so why can't the mexican feds just give them a license - or have their states do same - assuming that they have completed the prerequisites etc. I've never had to do anything other than fill out paperwork and take a physical to get a mexican license.

To me the issue of what should be done about undocumenteds is a different ball of wax - it just seems to me that the mexican government should do all they can for their own citizens before they start trying to change laws in other countries.

Unless of course there's an ulterior motive...

Dave - 10-30-2004 at 12:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech

I know of hundreds of Americans in Mexico Illegally.


Turn 'em in!
Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
Did you Know that if you commit a illegal act in Mexico that alone makes you are in the country illegally.
Bruce R Leech Mulege Baja


If you are convicted you MAY be deported. It depends on the severity of the crime. If you live here legally you cannot LEGALLY be deported without due process.

Dave - 10-30-2004 at 12:13 PM

I have a Mexican Drivers license, that's it. I have produced it for address verification and once to the SD police when stopped. Perfectly legal. With it, I purchase wrap coverage to drive my vehicle in the States.

[Edited on 10-30-2004 by Dave]

MEXICAN DRIVERS LICENSES

LOVE2GO2BAJA - 10-30-2004 at 12:19 PM

Text
10/30/04
Mexican Drivers Licenses
Last summer the local cable company ?Cablem?s? used my beach house for a company fiesta. As we were sitting around enjoying Mexico?s finest ice cold refreshments the topic of drivers licenses came up. Needless to say they were all surprised when I showed them my Mexican driver?s license. I explained to them I have had a Mexican drivers license for more than 20 years that I have used it for I.D. purposes in both the U.S. and in Mexico. I explained to them that I have even used my Mexican driver?s license before in the U.S. for the purposes of renting a car, cashing checks, credit card I.D., as well as I.D. with U.S. Immigration and Custom?s inspectors at the border to their amusement. Surprisingly out of the 10 people sitting at the table discussing the topic of Mexican Driver?s licenses only four (4 out of 10), which included myself, had Mexican drivers licenses and furthermore, only one of them (1 out of 9) had car insurance! In my years of living here in Mexico this is not unusual that many drivers do not have drivers licenses (current or otherwise) and only a fraction of those who do drive have car insurance. After noting that let me say this is not a scientific study only from my personal experiences, that?s just the way it is, do you put food on the table or buy car insurance. However, to my understanding for an American to legally acquire a drivers license in Mexico they either have to have an (FM-3, FM-2, or ?Resident Status? in Mexico) the Mexican government would never consider or much less grant illegal Americans staying in Mexico a Mexico drivers licenses as they are considering in California.

LOVE2GO2BAJA

Braulio - 10-30-2004 at 02:34 PM
Quote:

the Mexican government would never consider or much less grant illegal Americans staying in Mexico a Mexico drivers licenses as they are considering in California.


A better analogy would be the mexican government granting licenses to Guatemaltecos. (The "amnesty" program the mex-feds announced a few years ago was a sham.)

JESSE - 10-30-2004 at 02:58 PM

Bottom line is the feds cant issue local driver licences, and in my opinion, its up to the residents of California to decide if they want this done or not.

Its their state.

bajalou - 10-30-2004 at 04:55 PM

Having a valid drivers license issued in Mexico has nothing to do with being in the United States legaly. The highway patol are only interested in the documents regarding the driver and the vehicle - not migratory status.