Testimony on HB 5497 — Immigrant Driver’s License
Written Testimony of Michigan Catholic Conference
23 January 2002
House Bill 5497
House Committee on Transportation
Thank you Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is Paul Long and I am the vice president for public policy with the Michigan Catholic Conference. The Michigan Catholic Conference is the public policy voice for the Catholic Church in this state. I want to thank you for providing this opportunity to offer our reflections on House Bill 5497.
We applaud the Legislature’s efforts to work on legislation that looks to protect the health and safety of the residents of our state.
House Bill 5497, however, is not an appropriate vehicle for this cause. And, we oppose its passage.
Undocumented immigrants have become increasingly integral to both the U.S. and Michigan economy. They comprise a large percentage of the agricultural workforce both in Michigan and nationally, are involved in other industries, and pay millions of dollars in taxes, be it the income tax, sales tax, or Social Security tax. The jobs they perform and the taxes they pay are particularly critical at this time in Michigan history with problems in the state general fund and the state school aid fund. Undocumented immigrants also send billions of dollars in remittances to their home countries, which is crucial to the promotion of economic development and the maintenance of political stability in Mexico and Central America.
Legalization is a matter of justice. Until authentic human development is achieved in what is now the developing world, individuals will migrate in order to improve their condition. Indeed, those who come to the United States and to Michigan in an undocumented status come largely to seek a better life for themselves and their families, or simply to survive. While the Catholic Church does not advocate undocumented immigration into the United States, it affirms the human dignity of the undocumented who live within our midst and makes every effort to ensure that their basic human needs are met and that their human rights are not trampled upon.
Until such time as the global community effectively addresses the root causes of undocumented migration, individual nations and states must confront the presence of the undocumented in a manner which upholds the dignity and basic human rights of all immigrants, regardless of their legal status. The Catholic Church has committed itself to continue the work of advocacy for laws that respect the human rights of immigrants and preserve the unity of the immigrant family.
This bill does not do that. Our specific concerns are as follows:
- The “referral” section of the bill, which provides that state employees may report information on an individual to the federal government, is troubling. While there is nothing legally or constitutionally problematic with this, is it good public policy for the state to enter into areas rightfully addressed by the federal government. If individuals fear being reported by local officials to the INS they may be less apt to report being the victim of crime or of abuses to them in the labor force. This section could also lead to the break up of families as mothers and fathers may be forced to leave their children, who are born here and thus are citizens, behind. Does the state really want to accept these burdens?
- This bill will have a negative effect upon those who are currently in the legalization process. As they wait for the federal government to process their case, they will be stripped of their ability to drive and hold employment, which might then affect their cause for legalization.
- There are those who are undocumented because their country of origin does not have documentation. The only way to know of the existence of such people is that they can be seen and touched. For the most part this would be reflective of some refugees who have been forced to flee their native lands. This bill will unnecessarily burden them in their new home.
- Is it not, from a protection and safety standpoint, better to have individuals licensed and identified so as to have knowledge of their general location?
Finally, it is our belief that this bill is unnecessary. Current state law provides for the prosecution of those who would use false documentation in an attempt to obtain a license. Current law should be vigorously enforced rather than enacting a new law that will have a negative impact upon thousands of individuals across this state.
Thank you.
