From Deseret News archives:
Latinos in Dixie express worry over driver's card
Some in audience fear they will be targeted by police
The meeting, which was held on the campus of Dixie State College and sponsored by the state Office of Ethnic Affairs, drew people of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds. It was conducted in Spanish with English translation provided through an interpreter.
The meeting was primarily held to explain the state's new driver's privilege card, which Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has signed into law. Undocumented workers without a valid Social Security number will not be able to obtain a Utah driver's license under the new law, but they will be able to get a driver's privilege card with two forms of acceptable identification.
Questions from the audience included why the new driver's privilege card was needed in the first place, and what kind of identification is required to obtain one.
"This bill was a compromise. There were other bills targeting different types of immigrants," said Yvette Donosso Diaz, executive director for the Utah Department of Community and Culture.
Diaz said she and other leaders at the meeting were not responsible for passage of the new law and should not be chastised for trying to help Latinos understand it.
Several members of the audience said they are worried that the new driver's privilege card would be abused by law enforcement.
"This new law has not given any new authority to law enforcement," Diaz said.
St. George Police Chief Marlon Stratton said his officers would receive training to understand the new law and how to apply it.
One man said he expected his insurance rates to rise under the new law, while another man worried that a wave of discrimination would soon follow.
Mexican Consul Salvador Jimenez told the group that he was at the meeting because he "heard the Mexican community here in St. George has some concerns with the new law."
"The mission of the Mexican Consulate is to bring specific services to Mexican nationals," Jimenez said. "We want to make sure you know what our role is, and make sure you understand we can play a role in this issue. More than anything, we will provide the role of protector if necessary for Mexican nationals."
Georgina Coon said the "entire Latino community is very upset about this" and that the issue would only divide people.
"This is discrimination. It is profiling," she said.
One man said he believed the state found a new way to create additional revenue with the driver's privilege cards. The same fee of $25 applies to the new cards, but they are only good for one year while drivers' licenses are good for several years, he pointed out.
E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com
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