Human beings never should be used as political bargaining chips.
Thus, when new laws are passed ““ especially controversial
laws relating to illegal immigration ““ they should be
carefully designed and thoroughly debated.
Apparently, that is a lesson the leaders of California have yet
to learn.
In September, the Legislature rushed to pass a poorly worded
Senate Bill 60, which granted undocumented workers the right to
hold California driver licenses ““ but did not incorporate
background checks for felonies or terrorist group links.
Monday, in an equally hasty effort, the state Senate voted 33-0
to repeal the bill, yielding to pressure from Gov. Schwarzenegger.
In a Los Angeles Times report, repeal author state Sen. Rico Oller
(R-District 1), was quoted as saying they had repealed
“fundamentally flawed legislation that would have put
California’s safety at risk.”
Technically, he is right. Before the recall process began,
former Gov. Davis had vetoed a similar bill, saying it did not
include sufficient background checks. Only when he was facing
recall did he maneuver to gain Latino votes, signing SB 60’s
draft into law.
Schwarzenegger pledged to make efforts to repeal the law during
his campaign, and it is likely that he will make good on his
promise. Regardless of whether he wants to repeal the law for
political reasons or safety reasons, the law soon may be gone.
An underlying issue remains.
Undocumented immigrants constitute a crucial ““Â and
huge ““ part of California’s economy. They pick crops,
clean houses, and do many jobs most Californians would loathe
doing. Many of these workers pay federal taxes out of their
paychecks. They also pay sales taxes. Yet many people would deny
them the privilege to drive simply because they are not
documented.
Schwarzenegger told legislators he might support a more secure
version of the law ““ as he should. Undocumented workers
should be allowed to drive, as our economy depends on their labor.
Obviously, millions of such immigrants do work. They need a way to
get to work.
But even if these workers are allowed to drive, another
underlying problem will not be solved. With or without driver
licenses, illegal immigrants, whose work California clearly needs,
are treated like commodities rather than people. Such treatment is
abhorrent to American ideals of human equality. With a driver
license, these workers would be one step closer to having rights
like citizens’ but would not have the recognition they
deserve.
A clear path toward citizenship for undocumented workers
““Â so long as they’re not criminals ““ would
make sense. As it stands, however, many toil for years with little
chance to gain legal status. As only the federal government may
grant amnesty, the issue cannot be solved in Sacramento. But that
does not absolve the state’s leaders from an obligation to
consider carefully the human implications of their laws.
Illegal immigrants already are used as economic pawns. They
should not be used as political pawns, too.