Undocumented Immigrants And Driver’s Licenses Essay Template For Faster Writing

Undocumented immigrants have become a popular topic in the United States. When discussing them, there are many concerns surrounding allowing them into the country, how long they will stay, and what their presence here means for legal citizens. One such topic concerns a driver’s license and whether or not undocumented immigrants should be allowed to receive one. Many argue it would be better to allow undocumented immigrants to have a driver’s license, stating receiving a license is of no true consequence today compared to instances when terrorists were able to obtain one. While this may be true, when issues like national and global security, road safety, and any detriment to the American taxpayer are assed, it becomes clear undocumented immigrants should not have a driver’s license.
An issue with undocumented immigrants having a driver’s license is security related while also undermining the United States’ immigration law. If an undocumented immigrant is able to procure a license without official becoming documented, they may be able to use an alias, known by an intelligence agency or otherwise, in an effort to obtain other fake documents. Essentially, this individual can set up an entirely fake life under a name that is not their own. Many wonder what the issue with this is. The undocumented alien could be wanted in their native country, or could be on a watch list. Under a fake name with a driver’s license, they could remain in the country free of any punishment based on crimes committed on home soil or worse, they could help orchestrate an attack in the U.S.
Road safety can also become an issue when allowing undocumented immigrants to have a driver’s license. One would assume if any individual, illegal or not, is allowed to legally drive, they are also obligated to purchase car insurance for the vehicle they will be driving. In order to register their vehicle they do need to do this; however the individual is able to cancel the car insurance plan at any time, leaving themselves and other drivers financially and medically vulnerable should an accident occur. Moreover, due to the fact many undocumented immigrants work in minimum wage positions or under the table for less than minimum wage, the vehicles they do drive are often older models that are not up to most road-tested safety standards. As such, these drivers are more prone to serious accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities. Also concerning road safety, many undocumented immigrants are unable to read road signs, safety alerts, and emergency road-side instructions in English, often making it dangerous for them to be driving in areas such as school zones, construction zones, and severe weather areas.
Finally, a driver’s license should not be legally obtainable by an undocumented immigrant because it comes at a cost to the legal American taxpayer. A driver’s license is considered an official form of identification in the United States. Showing it as identification also makes an individual eligible for a host of benefits offered by states as programs at the expense of taxpayers, i.e. Medicare, welfare, FASFA, HUD, etc. Many Americans seek help from these programs in an effort to get back on their feet if they have fallen on hard times, or need continuous help depending on their health or socioeconomic status. They are legal citizens reaping the benefits of work they have performed throughout their life. Issuing drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants makes them equally eligible and because they are often at a disadvantage economically upon entering the country, they often qualify, effectively taking the spot of a legal citizen in a program designed to only help those who are in the United States legally.
There are some pros to allowing undocumented immigrants to have a license, however. One of the primary arguments against immigrants obtaining a license is it will help establish stronger national security, but it has been pointed out, for instance, the 9/11 hijackers were able to obtain a driver’s license easily before carrying out the attacks. Arguably, if an individual gets a driver’s license it would at least make them easier to track, versus if the nation inhibits undocumented immigrants from receiving a license, thus allowing them to remain hidden. It has also been pointed out the 9/11 hijackers did not use their U.S. licenses when boarding their planes, furthering the argument that it would be better to document undocumented immigrants in whatever way possible. Restricting licenses from such a large part of the population would likely only result in a congested court system while flooding said population with false identification documents, making it more difficult to track their whereabouts and their intentions.
In sum, undocumented immigrants should not have a license for a variety of reasons. Granting them a license could post as a security threat, as it would allow them to hide under a false name, as well as from their own country. Doing this may also allow the individual to plan an attack against the U.S., should they be inclined to do so. Moreover, they could prove to be unsafe drivers, making the roads dangerous for legal drivers who understand road safety, as well as have insurance. Finally, a license allows undocumented immigrants to receive benefits at the expense of American taxpayers; these are benefits only legal citizens should receive. While there are pros to the argument concerning giving undocumented immigrants a license, it does not outweigh all of the damage doing so would do.