More Massachusetts Madness: Illegal Aliens Now in the Driver’s Seat
The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — known in Massachusetts as the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), with all the same misery — is one of the last places on Earth any person ever wants to spend time. Despite that, when the calendar rolled over to July, virtually every RMV across Massachusetts was overwhelmed with celebratory crowds lined up and anxious to get inside as if mega-lottery prizes were being awarded. In a way that’s what it was. Illegal aliens by the thousands turned out to apply for driver’s licenses as the state’s euphemistically titled “Work and Family Mobility Act” (WFMA) became effective. The new law grants licenses to all Massachusetts residents regardless of immigration status.
The state is also very excited. Transportation Secretary, Gina Fiandaca, exclaimed, “The Registry of Motor Vehicles is ready to welcome all residents, regardless of their immigration status, as they seek a driving license so they can legally drive to get to work, school, the doctor’s office, and to see family and friends.”
She’s committed to do whatever it takes — $28 million being the most recent cost estimate (with some of that money to be recouped from fees charged to applicants) — to process up to “200,000 undocumented residents” applying for driver licenses, although FAIR’s estimate is closer to 316,000. Regardless, there’s no worry in the blue Bay State because the RMV is rolling out an unprecedented level of accommodation:
Convenient and Expanded Hours. RMVs across Massachusetts are increasing staff by 50 percent at call and service centers, extending hours at many locations – even adding Saturdays! Of course, this may leave legal Massachusetts residents fuming; for years, they’ve been growing old and gray waiting in excruciatingly long RMV lines to renew their licenses, but now that illegal aliens are getting processed, the state is finally expediting customer service.
English Proficiency Not Required. All documents explaining the process are available in an applicant’s choice of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Haitian Creole, French, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, Khmer, Cape Verdean Creole, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, and Pashto.
Not to belabor the point, but the learner’s permit exam is offered in 35 languages.
The actual road test — the fun part — is designed to be just as easy to navigate if an applicant doesn’t speak a lick of English, because according to the RMV website, “If you need an interpreter for your road test and have a friend, loved one, or someone else who can accompany to translate, the RMV encourages you to bring them along. Otherwise, you can request an interpreter from the RMV when scheduling a road test.”
This makes some Massachusetts residents nervous, with good reason. Motoring around the state — especially through Boston — is already a white-knuckle endeavor with thin margins for error and a multiplicity of complex HOV signs that befuddle even Beacon Hill English professors whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower. All illegality aside, if someone can’t read English and are only able to identify basic shapes like stop signs, it’s best to leave the keys at home.
Documents? Options and Loopholes. In order to verify identity, Illegal aliens in Massachusetts desiring a driver’s license must present only two documents from a lengthy menu of choices that include foreign-issued cards such as Mexican Matricula Consular cards, which the FBI reported can be a perfect breeder document for establishing a false identity. The state is also asking for a Social Security number, sort of. An applicant can simply say the number because no actual card is required. And, if an applicant doesn’t have a Social Security number – or can’t invent one on the spot – that’s no problem either. He/she simply “completes an Affidavit of No SSN stating that (they’ve) never been issued a Social Security number.”
Proof of state residency can be satisfied with a utility or cell phone bill.
Identity theft, fraud, black market counterfeits anyone? This is what Former Gov. Charlie Baker had in mind when he vetoed the law (before his veto was overridden by the Legislature). RMV “does not have the expertise or ability to verify the validity of many types of documents from other countries,” Baker said. And although he didn’t say it, perhaps the former governor was mindful of one of the 9/11 Commission’s most important recommendation: tightening the issuance of driver’s licenses. After all, ten terrorists breached security and boarded two commercial jetliners at Boston’s Logan International Airport using easily obtainable state-issued documents, as cited by the 9/11 Commission.
Massachusetts has long been a sanctuary state, so issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens – as 17 other states have done – was expected. But it’s a big step with a big difference; after years of reaping the benefits of sanctuary policies, those who violate our nation’s laws are finally in the driver’s seat…and taking the rest of us for a ride.