Social media are awash with sob stories about illegal aliens being apprehended. Blue-state politicians have stretched the medieval idea of “sanctuary” from churches to Home Depot parking lots. But even in the Middle Ages, sanctuary was limited: Stay too long, and you had to leave the king’s realm, especially if you refused to obey his laws.
One recent Twitter tear-jerker recounted how an illegal alien — the husband of a U.S. citizen — was stopped in Texas for a moving violation. When police discovered his immigration status, he was turned over to ICE. Notably, he had no driver’s license.
That raises a question: Why do so many Americans seem unbothered by people driving without licenses? Is this just another “undocumented” privilege?
My son recently earned his Virginia driver’s license. The process was rigorous. Until COVID, the Old Dominion emphasized the responsibility that comes with driving by requiring minors to receive their licenses in a formal court ceremony.
Contrast that with what I witnessed in a Northern Virginia municipal court a few years ago. Defendant after defendant stood before a judge, unable to speak English and charged with driving without a license. The judge gave a gentle scolding, extracted a promise “not to do it again,” and sent them on their way — often to an illegal job. ICE could have a field day in the municipal courts of Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Loudoun, and Prince William. But local politicians and prosecutors (but I repeat myself) look the other way.
Unlicensed drivers haven’t gone through American driver training. They’re often uninsured, meaning law-abiding citizens subsidize the damage when accidents happen. Is that just another cost of “inclusion and diversity” under Democrat governance?
Some blue states attempt to fix this by issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. But without legal presence, they can’t obtain a Real ID — which may explain why Congress has failed to require Real ID as the nationwide standard. Regulating licenses used across state lines clearly falls under Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce. No Real ID? Then no crossing state lines with that license.
There’s also a constitutional question. If federal immigration law (the INA) prohibits illegal aliens from accessing public benefits, and driving is a privilege, then how can blue states undermine federal law by granting those privileges? The only way they can do that is to invent a peculiar institution: state citizenship. The last time states tried to invent their own form of citizenship, it was South Carolina in 1861. That didn’t end well — but it rightly was ended.
No doubt Democrats will suddenly rediscover “states’ rights” to justify sanctuary policies — the same “states’ rights” they once used to defend slavery, segregation, and Jim Crow, before rebranding their historical sins as Republican.
As a conservative Republican, I support federalism. But driving is inherently interstate. Congress has every right to impose a national Real ID standard that requires proof of citizenship or legal presence. If blue states insist on handing out licenses to illegals, let those licenses be invalid outside their borders. Want to drive around New York as an illegal alien? Fine — but cross into New Jersey (even if it’s just as sanctuary-happy), and that second-class license should trigger federal enforcement.
Democrats denounce Trump for targeting illegal aliens, complaining he’s arresting not just “criminals,” but also “hardworking people.” But why should enforcement be limited to those who break two laws — the INA plus a criminal statute like murder, rape, assault, or theft? Isn’t violating the INA itself enough?
Some illegal entry is a criminal offense, not just a civil violation. Yet only foreigners seem to enjoy amnesty from certain laws. When will citizens receive comparable rights to exemption from one law? I’ll choose the U.S. Tax Code. Think I’d get away with that?
As for the “hardworking” illegal alien, he has no right to work here — a separate violation. Yes, employers should be held accountable, too, but that doesn’t erase the alien’s illegal status. Once upon a time, even Democrats recognized that illegal labor takes American jobs and drives down American wages.
It’s time to stop pretending this is anything less than an invasion — one worsened by the Biden administration’s deliberate refusal to enforce immigration law. If sanctuary states won’t help, then let’s start stripping away their fig-leaf protections — beginning with driver’s licenses.
Image via Public Domain Pictures.