Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Bold Pink Strip Labels the Drivers' License of Young Illegal Immigrants



http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/us/north-carolina-to-give-some-immigrants-drivers-licenses-with-a-pink-stripe.html?ref=immigrationandemigration

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program is an 'equal-opportunity-for-all' program introduced by the Obama administration to help young illegal immigrants who were brought to the US by their parents. As a response to the program, North Carolina agreed to issue drivers' licenses for these youths. These drivers' licenses, though, did not look like your typical 'State of North Carolina' drivers' license. Instead, they had a blatant pink strip with the words 'NO LAWFUL STATUS' printed across the little plastic card. Many people found this humiliating, The fact that their immigration status was visible by strangers when they were required to present their ID in bars, supermarkets, and other public settings, made them targets in their community. As a result, North Carolina agreed to make changes to the license; putting the words, again 'no lawful status', in small print on the back instead of on the front.
I thought they did the right thing in finally changing the appearance of the license for illegal immigrants. Some people are attacked simply because they look different, but to openly tell everyone on their ID that they are indeed an illegal immigrant? That's just asking for more trouble. These licenses are for people who were brought here from a different country a children, not knowing they'd be an illegal immigrant. Information that private shouldn't be announced on something as public as a drivers' license.

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