Hundreds of advocates for immigrants will be in Richmond Wednesday for a contentious committee hearing. The hearing will consider a bill that would provide documents to the undocumented.
Should undocumented immigrants be given driver’s licenses? Or, perhaps, more specifically, should they be given temporary driving permits? Republican Senator Bill Carrico of Grayson County is chairman of a committee that’s already killed that idea several times.
“It’s going to give the impression to the law enforcement officer that this is a legal individual here because they’ve gotten the license. So it would give them a little bit more ability to thwart the law.”
Just the opposite, says Senator Scott Surovell, a Democrat from Fairfax County. He says it would help law enforcement because it would reduce the number of hit-and-run accidents — fewer people would flee because they fear being deported.
“You cannot live without the ability to drive legally. Right now there are people are in fear of being arrested because they’re driving their child to the doctor or their soccer game or getting them to school or to get to their job.”
Last year, his bill died on an eight to seven vote. He says he’s hopeful this year he might be able to get at least one Republican vote by designing the IDs to make clear that these documents are not Virginia driver’s licenses.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
