Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Official wants to tie ID cards to visa status

Official wants to tie ID cards to visa status

Jan 15, 2005 - 11:42:49 CST

By CURT WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer

Foreigners who have overstayed their permission to be in the United States should be required to give up North Dakota identification cards, the state's top driver licensing official says.

North Dakota's Transportation Department wants lawmakers to declare that when an immigrant's visa has expired, the person's North Dakota driver's license -- as well as photo IDs issued by the agency -- will become invalid. The change would not apply to resident aliens.

Keith Magnusson, director of the department's driver and vehicle services office, said transportation officials expect similar rules to come from Congress in the next few years.

"I think it's just part of this whole effort in the country to really keep track of people," Magnusson told members of the Senate Transportation Committee on Friday.

Christopher Dodson, a spokesman for North Dakota's Roman Catholic bishops, said the proposal would discriminate against foreigners.

"Singling them out by requiring what amounts to a scarlet letter on their identification, and making their identification dependent on their immigration status, serves no legitimate purpose," Dodson said at a committee hearing.

Immigration rules are complex, and best left to federal authorities, Dodson said. "Since when is the North Dakota Department of Transportation charged with keeping track of people?" he asked.

The legislation also could spur a black market for identification among illegal immigrants who don't want to leave the country, Dodson said.

The committee took no immediate action on the measure Friday.

Magnusson said North Dakota doesn't want to be a "weak link" when the federal government begins tying state identification to legal immigration status.

"We're not trying to discriminate in any way. We're just looking at the integrity of our drivers' licenses," he said.

Dodson said the measure would be hard on college students, because they often wait months to have student visas renewed. But Magnusson said the Transportation Department would extend legal identification for foreign citizens who are waiting to move through the federal system.

"We'll take care of them in that regard, because they're here legally," Magnusson said.

The bill is SB2099.

News > State

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Comments

Stacy wrote on Apr 28, 2008 10:53 PM:

" Do you know if employment records from the 20's for this institution still exist? On the 1920 census records I found a relative of mine working there in laundry ironing clothes. "

Angie wrote on Oct 31, 2007 12:41 PM:

" Do you think there might be a connection of the beating death and assult of Pat Stein, from John Leftbear, to the boy they found Russell D. Turcotte, 19, of Wolf Point? It was only a few years apart and they both happened in or around Devil's Lake. "

get his butt !!!!!!! wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:07 AM:

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huh? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 1:24 PM:

" I would like to read comments on Joseph Edward Duncan, not random comments that don't related to the subject of the article. What gives? Have these 3 decided to just jump in randomly or were their comments misdirected to the wrong article????? "

DEAR WEBMASTER!!! wrote on Sep 19, 2006 9:02 PM:

" None of the comments on ANY of the pages follow the story. Go crunch some code, Buddy! FIX IT PLEASE. "

Max wrote on Aug 22, 2006 8:41 PM:

" Who owns the natural gas processing plants and who are the main shareholders. Gov. Hoeven stated in 2004 that Tesoro should get 1 million for nothing. Tesoro CEO had just cashed in 5% of his shares of stock for 25 million and bought back 870 million in bonds and that was when oil was $40 a a barrel he now owns about 1 billion at $70 a barrel I would imagine. The gas refinerys cut production 10% in Feb and early again this spring because their was a surplus on hand because Americans had driven less. This is price fixing as far as I am concern. The Tribune still has not asked about the 5 major oil companies that were being investigated for price fixing. Major natural gas storage operators Duke Energy Corp., El Paso Corp., CenterPoint Energy Inc. and ONEOK Inc. told the Wall Street Journal they had received subpoenas from investigators. Several other companies have not received them but are assisting with the investigation. Is this the 2000-2004 rebate we got back from MDU? Did we only get paid for 1 year like other states instead of 4 years refunds? MDU was vague on how we got over charged. Oil and Gas gave 50 million and was the largest contributor to Repulicans campaings. Is this pay for the 1 million Mr. Hoeven received from the Bush Rove campaign committee in 2000? "

Ken Helegeson wrote on Jun 23, 2006 8:34 AM:

" as a past "small" operator in the 70's and 80's and finally becoming a 0 operator in the 90's by FSA standards I come to realize that the CRP programs has taken away "true" land use for what it was and now pays farmers to short change animal producers from grazing land that is only good for goats, sheep or limited number of cattle nontheless it is grzing and Uncle pays farmers to cash in on land that only reall yproduces meat, thus nationally denying the general public from having their tax dollars put to better use. I think Congress needs to redifine farmable acres and give the meat producers their land back and save some money "

Tim Griffin Jr. wrote on May 18, 2006 10:03 AM:

" They need to free Peltier. He didn't do it. Government just wants to put some blame on someone and they chose Peltier. Free him! Free him! "

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