Panel urges driving rights for illegal immigrants

There are good arguments on both sides of this issue. It seems that it is more important to have everyone registered and insured, than for them to be here legally. Without a license, they can't get insurance, and many are still driving. - - Donna Poisl

by SAMANTHA HENRY, The Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. - Alejandro Chavez, an undocumented immigrant from Puebla, Mexico, worked in the apple orchards of Washington state for years, driving to and from work with a valid state motor vehicle license. When he moved to New Jersey seven years ago to work on a Morristown horse farm, he lost his driving privileges. The state told him he couldn't transfer his driver's license because he wasn't a legal U.S. resident.

It's a growing issue in New Jersey and in other parts of the country: Should illegal immigrants, a sizable part of many state economies, be allowed to obtain state driver's licenses?

"We may be undocumented, but we invest a lot into this country," said Chavez, who now pays $10 a day to get a ride to work. "I can understand that many believe we don't deserve any rights at all, but I think it's a better system to have people registered, and their identities verified."
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