WW--We Should Give Illegal Immigrants Drivers Licenses

~We aren’t willing to deport them all, so we might as well do what we can to make them part of the system we’ve resigned ourselves to letting them be a part of.
~If the federal government would do a better job of closing the border, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
~If they are already driving, we want to be able to track and control accidents that happen.
~Giving them licenses encourages them to stay at the scene of an accident and get liability insurance. Refusing licenses encourages the opposite.
~What are you going to do with all the illegals who are already driving? What’s your alternative?
~Isn’t this already what we do in providing so many necessary social services to illegals such as medical care and schooling?
~Illegal immigrants often want to be as law-abiding as they can be.
~If licenses are available, only the worst sort won’t have them, and that will be useful information to employers and law enforcement officials.
~We need these people, we want these people, we entice these people, and now we want to punish them for responding like any normal person would?
~If people get licenses, it means they have been trained or at least certified to drive safely. That means that people will be better drivers so as to pass the test.
~This isn’t about bringing more people into the country, it’s about being practical about the ones that are already here.
~Are we safer when millions of people are kept out of our licensing system or brought into it?
~Unlicensed drivers are 5x more likely to be involved in fatal accidents.
~The DMV databases are the largest in the country. That’s why law enforcement goest there first to find someone. Is it better for police to have access to information on these people or no such access?

Research Links:
State needs DLs for foreign nationals by Sacramento Bee
Poll: 77% oppose illegals' licenses by Washington Times
Frequently Asked Questions by NY.gov
A DL Policy To Make New York Safer by NY.gov
Illegal Immigrant DLs: Here We Go Again by SFgate.com
Spitzer explains licenses for illegal immigrants by SFgate.com
Should Illegal Aliens Get DLs? by Eagleforum.org
Driver's Licenses For Illegal Immigrants? by LA Times
The Democratic Debate Transcript on MSNBC by NY Times
Illegal License by Kathleen Parker, Townhall.com
"REAL ID" Act by Wikipedia
15 states license illegals to drive by World Net Daily

Post-Show Thoughts: I fail to see how the fact that we've made life in America too enticing can be the problem and making life more enticing in America can be the solution. I'm the guy you want to persuade on this issue, but I just can't wrap my mind around imagining an illegal immigrant standing at the DMV saying, "I am an illegal immigrant, and I would like to have a drivers license," and the representative of the government saying, "Okay." If you show up at a government office and confess to being a criminal, they shouldn't ignore that, even though I agree this is not the great crime against humanity that many anti-immigrant people claim it is. Perhaps I'm being simple-minded about all this, but my view is clear. We have no business talking about what to do with all the illegal immigrants who are already here and coming here daily until we take real steps to stop that from happening more. Border security first. Remedying the problem within our borders second. Always in that order. Anything that alleviates the pain of failing to control the borders will also drain away the impetus to control them. I want a big wall and a huge door, and until I get it, you'll never have my support for any other remedy, even though I have tremendous sympathy for the current situation of people here already. I dont want to see more of them in this position. Hence I want a solution that will actually be a solution before we talk about anything else.

Here are some analogies to consider:

• This is like saying to all the people who own guns illegally and are carrying them around, “Just come and get your concealed carry permit since you’re already doing it.”
• If there was an epidemic of 14 year olds driving illegally, would we respond by saying that we should just issue them licenses since they’re already driving illegally?
• "Hey you, yeah, the one selling crack on the street corner, here’s your business permit so you can pay taxes even though we’re going to still make it illegal to do what you do."
• Kids are going to have sex anyway, so you might as well give them condoms and let them stay in the guest room where at least they won’t get muscle cramps the way they might in the back of a car.