Back off driving permit holders

To comply with federal law, the Utah Legislature created driving privilege cards for people who do not have the proper documentation to qualify for a state driver's license.

The driving privilege card helps to ensure that undocumented drivers know the rules of the road and that they insure their vehicles. Whatever your stand on illegal immigration, these are matters of public safety that need to be encouraged.

But some illegal immigrants have balked at the creation of a separate driving card. Some feel the cards are discriminatory and they will place those who possess them at risk for racial profiling. Still others are frightened about obtaining the card because they fear that the state will turn over their names and contact information to the Department of Homeland Security. One local opponent of illegal immigration has proposed precisely that.

That proposal poses some wrinkles.

First off, federal law does not require the states to provide this information to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Enforcement officials say the state has been cooperative in providing case-specific information. There would appear to be no pressing need to alter this arrangement.

Second, it is curious what opponents of illegal immigration think would happen if the federal government was routinely fed this information. Do they propose that large-scale roundups and deportations of illegal immigrants take place? Both are impractical in terms of cost, logistics and human relations.

Lastly, both sides of the immigration debate would agree that it is in the state's best interest to have as much information as possible about who resides in Utah. Stirring fears that driving privilege card information will be turned over to the federal immigration enforcement agency is just one more excuse for an undocumented worker to live below the radar.

The state Department of Public Safety reports that more than 3,200 driving privilege cards have been issued, although some 61,000 driver's license holders will be affected over the next year. If anything, the state must encourage people who will be ineligible for drivers' licenses to obtain driving privilege cards as a matter of public safety and to ensure any information it wishes to share with other government agencies is as accurate as possible.