Finally a law that makes sense (Houston, Center: insurance, fingerprints, legal)

[ethanw]

I wonder why it took us so darn long....no other countries in the world will give a driver license unless proper status is in order.... I wonder what the numbers look like in Houston....

Rule requiring drivers to prove citizenship is now law | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

[Helenstu]

I am a new citizen (as of last month), and I did everything required of me to earn the privilege of U.S. citizenship. I will proudly show my ID for a driver's license or any other legitimate purpose. I resent those who attempt to get in by the back door, AND those who support those attempts.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by ethanw

I wonder why it took us so darn long....no other countries in the world will give a driver license unless proper status is in order.... I wonder what the numbers look like in Houston....

Rule requiring drivers to prove citizenship is now law | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

I believe most countries also have national IDs to deal with that issue, unlike us.

BTW,
what are we going to do with long term foreigners that need to drive to work?

[NTT]

Originally Posted by Helenstu

I am a new citizen (as of last month), and I did everything required of me to earn the privilege of U.S. citizenship. I will proudly show my ID for a driver's license or any other legitimate purpose. I resent those who attempt to get in by the back door, AND those who support those attempts.

Congratulations on becoming a US Citizen! I remembered how excited and proud I was when becoming one.

Dopo, as for national ID, we have a similar ID that we can use, and that is our Voter Registration card. Even an expired one is valid as proof of US citizenship. This is what I carry in my wallet at all time. It is easier than to carry a passport, a birth certificate or US Naturalization Certificate around. With all the chaotic going on with immigration, I'd rather be prepared just in case. Not to mention, it is so easy to apply for one. Just go online and fill out a form. About 10 days later, it's in the mailbox.

Many of my friends mistaken that they can use their Texas Driver's License as proof of US citizenship. I had to explain that it can only used to prove residential status but not citizenship status.

For those of you that resides in Texas, you can go to this website and apply for a Voter Registration card if you'd like to : https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterw...troduction.jsp. Select Voter Registration Application on the left Menu.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by Dopo

BTW,
what are we going to do with long term foreigners that need to drive to work?

^^^...it allows DPS to tie the expiration dates of driver's licenses to immigrants' legal status, so their licenses expire at the same time as their visas.

I am just afraid that this law will force lots of undocumented immigrants to drive without drivers license and insurance.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by NTT

Dopo, as for national ID, we have a similar ID that we can use, and that is our Voter Registration card.

Voter registration cards, driver's license or social security card is no longer accepted as proof of U.S. citizenship.

[NTT]

Originally Posted by elnina

Voter registration cards, driver's license or social security card is no longer accepted as proof of U.S. citizenship.

True, if you're using to travel to Canada and Mexico. Passport or Visa is now required. However, within the US, if we need to proove our US citizenship, the voter registration card is still a valid form of proof along with a photo ID. That's what we're talking about in this thread. You must be a US Citizen in order to vote but you don't need to be one in order to obtain a driver's license and SS card.

By the way, back then, it was not proof of citizenship that was required for coming back from Canada and Mexico. It was Proof of US Resident which is totally different from Proof of Citizenship. That was why we could use the driver's license or social security card for re-entry.

During the time, I used to work for the airline. Documentation was one our requirement, as reservation agent, to inform passengers traveling internationally. People were getting so confused between these 2 terms all the time. I'm glad the rule had changed. It's easier just to tell someone to bring his/her Passport or VISA. It's direct and avoids any misunderstanding.

[NTT]

You know, something is not right on that article about "Proof of Citizenship". What about all those people with a Green Card? They're not US citizens, just US residents. They're here legally and they too need a driver's license, don't they? Maybe, the article should have stated Proof of Legal Residency.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by NTT

You must be a US Citizen in order to vote but you don't need to be one in order to obtain a driver's license and SS card.

Thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote in some states, and tens if not hundreds of thousands in total may be present on the voter rolls nationwide. Yet there is no reliable method to determine the number of non-citizens registered or actually voting because most laws to ensure that only citizens vote are ignored, are inadequate, or are systematically undermined by government officials. Those who ignore the implications of non-citizen registration and voting either are willfully blind to the problem or may actually favor this form of illegal voting.
The evidence is indisputable that aliens, both legal and illegal, are registering and voting in federal, state, and local elections.
The Cutting Edge News

Originally Posted by NTT

You know, something is not right on that article about "Proof of Citizenship". What about all those people with a Green Card? They're not US citizens, just US residents. They're here legally and they too need a driver's license, don't they? Maybe, the article should have stated Proof of Legal Residents.

It also creates temporary visitors stations at DPS offices in major metropolitan areas and along the border that would be staffed by clerks who are trained to review immigration documents.
Green Card /work/student/temporary visa holders: DPS to tie the expiration dates of driver's licenses to immigrants' legal status, so their licenses expire at the same time as their visas/Green Card

[NTT]

Originally Posted by elnina

Thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote in some states, and tens if not hundreds of thousands in total may be present on the voter rolls nationwide. Yet there is no reliable method to determine the number of non-citizens registered or actually voting because most laws to ensure that only citizens vote are ignored, are inadequate, or are systematically undermined by government officials. Those who ignore the implications of non-citizen registration and voting either are willfully blind to the problem or may actually favor this form of illegal voting.
The evidence is indisputable that aliens, both legal and illegal, are registering and voting in federal, state, and local elections.
The Cutting Edge News

If this is true, then, there is a problem with the US system that send out voter registration cards. The Right to Vote in Federal election is one of the benefit for becoming a US Citizen. It is also one of the question that we, non US citizens, had to know in order to prepare for the interview in the US Naturalization process. After all, we pay hundreds of dollars to become a US Citizen in order to gain this right, to vote in Federal elections.
USCIS - Publications
(Open the Learn About the United States document and read #50.)

As for being an unreliable method, it still does not make a legit voter registration card as an invalid proof of citizenship. If the card has been wrongly issued, as happens with many other legal documents from time to time, the government needs to correct this issue. Just as they're doing with fake driver's license or currency or passports, etc.. One way, is to change the look or design of the voter registration card in order to differentiate the new and the old ones (used illegally).

By the way, the non US Citizen that uses the voter registration unlawfully, if caught, can be fined, imprisoned and be deported. It is a serious crime.
Voter registration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this era of digital technology, it can be done quickly to minimize or even eliminate errors and fake documents. ie: Digital fingerprints is one way the government is using to keep everyone's ID on file. It is also a speedy searching system.