8/6/2019 Random residency checks strike New Mexico taxpayers, families and workers

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FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

JULY 27,2011 CRISTINA PARKER915-875-9107

Random residency checks strikeNew Mexico taxpayers, families and workersGov. Susana Martinez plays political games with drivers licenses

and forgets simple geography

(LAS CRUCES, New Mexico) This week 10,000 foreign nationals living in New Mexico beganreceiving randomized letters informing them that they must drive to a new field office in Albuquerque toprove their New Mexican residency and identity.But why?

The letters state in part, This process is not optional... the Motor Vehicle Department will take steps tocancel your license or identification card if you fail to comply... The letters go on to explain that therecipient of this random check must drive to the newly opened office in Albuquerque to prove residency.The letters began to arrive in Las Cruceans' mailboxes yesterday and are part of Gov. Susana Martinezsthinly-veiled anti-immigrant agenda.

In her zeal to drive immigrant families underground, the governor is showing how disconnected she isfrom hardworking Las Cruceans and southern New Mexico residents. The governor must not have anyimmigrant friends or acquaintances if she doesnt realize that many cannot cross the Border Patrolcheckpoints on I-10 or I-25 on the way to Albuquerque. If this werent bad enough, the nine-hour roundtrip drive to Albuquerque during the workday is a significant financial hardship an undue burden forfamilies.

The truth is this effort has nothing to do with proper ID or public safety. If any number of the 10,000chosen in the letter lottery, including lawful permanent residents, fail to show up in Albuquerque, Gov.Martinez can falsely claim that each of them is abusing the New Mexico law that allows undocumentedworkers to lawfully earn their license to drive. The governor is padding the numbers to support heragenda. This scheme would enable her to push for increasingly harsh anti-immigrant policies.

Furthermore, the governor is thoughtlessly spending state resources to require families and workers toprove yet again what they have already proven to authorities: that they are lawful permanent residents ofthe state or that they are immigrants earning their drivers licenses according to New Mexico law.

This policy likely violates both the U.S. and New Mexico Constitutions. And taxpayers cant afford tofund an illegal, politically motivated booby trap.

Either Gov. Martinezs government is not taking into consideration the fact that Las Cruces taxpayerswork during workdays, or there are other motives for her letter lottery.

The Border Network for Human Rights calls on the governor to immediately stop the residencycertification program and to stop playing political games with hardworking New Mexico families.

The Border Network for Human Rights, founded in 1998, is one of the leading immigration reform andhuman rights advocacy organization in the United States. Based in El Paso, BNHR has over 7,000members in El Paso and Southern New Mexico.

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www.bnhr.org

http://www.reformimmigrationfortexas.org/http://www.reformimmigrationfortexas.org/