Utah ID card thing of the past

Despite a few confusing situations, many undocumented immigrants were able to obtain new driving privilege cards Friday, the day their Utah identification cards expired.

Under a new controversial law approved by the Legislature earlier this year, the driving privilege card will replace ID cards and drivers' licenses for undocumented workers. Department of Motor Vehicles and driver license division offices were crowded Friday with people anxious to receive their new driving privilege card.

"The important thing is they've done a great job making sure all their staff is doing what they're supposed to do," said Tony Yapias, a Latino community activist. Yapias spent his time Friday traveling to various Utah Department of Public Safety offices, answering immigrants questions and helping them obtain the new card. "I think overall, the department has done a good job. Except for one incident. That was concerning."

An employee at the driver license division offices in West Valley City told immigrants they must turn over their ID card and driver's license or a note would be made on their record and police would come to their homes. The information was not correct.

Doug McCleve, spokesman for the Utah Department of Public Safety, said that the situation "has been fixed."

"This is an educational process," he said. "We're trying the best we can, just to help people understand and get the new driving privilege card."

McCleve said he wasn't aware of any other problems Friday.

He did say that the Department of Public Safety is asking people to turn in expired IDs, but people will not be turned over to authorities if they don't turn them in.

According to Public Safety officials, 74,000 state ID cards held by individuals without Social Security numbers expired Friday. Some 61,000 drivers' license holders have until their next birthday to exchange their licenses for new driving privilege cards.

He said Public Safety has gone out of its way to educate its own employees and the public. The department has held public meetings around the state, has reached out to the media, has posted information on the agency's Web site, has a live help site and has sent out letters to ID card holders and will be sending out letters to drivers' license holders as the licenses are set to expire.

Yapias said although things have been running smoothly, the main confusion in the Latino community was whether or not people get the driving privilege card this weekend or wait until their birthday.