Unlicensed Drivers Get More than Just a Fine

What it must feel like to be out on the road every day knowing that you could be caught in some traffic violation and be thrown out of the country. There are 4.5 million unlicensed drivers in the United States; only three states New Mexico, Utah and Washington actually issue licenses without proof of legal residence. Many states have adopted tough new laws to prevent illegal immigrants from driving, while expanding immigration enforcement by the state and local police. As a result, at least 30,000 illegal immigrants who were stopped by for common traffic violations in the last 3 years have ended up in deportation. These numbers reported by Homeland Security are increasing rapidly.

The real concern is obviously the overall immigration issue. Many housekeepers, nannies and other household workers have come to this country to fill a need in our workforce. In the years past, less importance was given as to whether these workers were actually legal. There would be these sporadic celebrity cases that brought attention to the matter; yet since most household employers were less interested in providing payroll to their employees, it wasn't a matter of grave concern. Immigration issues in the last 5 years have increased awareness in the public turning household employers' attention to the need to hire legal workers. Yet, the desire to place them on payroll is still not preferred. This partial commitment to the issue of hiring properly is part of the problem.

We must solve this immigration concern for the millions of illegals who continue to work hard in this country. The question of where to draw the line between those who have arrived 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago and still have not been granted work permits must be addressed. We cannot have undocumented workers continue living in fear of deportation. We also cannot have more immigrants here where there is little work for them. In these very tough economic times, we have less jobs available for workers of every type. Illegal household workers feel the brunt of this lack of opportunity more than those who are documented. They have to wait out these times just like other Americans who are struggling. If household workers, legal or illegal, are here serving our needs and there are jobs and employers willing to have them in their homes, then we must find a way to put them through the due diligence process so that they become part of our system. Employers must also take on the responsibility of hiring them legally so that they may receive the benefits that working legally in this country provide all workers.