Civil Rights Leaders Speak Out On Immigration At Augusta Press Conference

For Immediate Release, April 7, 2008

Contact: Shenna Bellows 774 5444

Augusta – Members of the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition gather in Augusta this morning to speak out against a proposal that would require Mainers to prove legal status in order to obtain a Maine driver license.  Coalition members are holding a press conference at 11 am at the Welcome Center of the State House in Augusta.

Who:  Beth Stickney, Executive Director, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

            Shenna Bellows, Executive Director, Maine Civil Liberties Union

            Bob Talbot, NAACP Portland Branch

            Ben Chin, Maine People’s Alliance

Where:  Welcome Center, State House, Augusta

What Time:  Monday, April 07, 2008 11:00 AM

"ILAP is disheartened that Maine is letting the unwarranted fear and hate that are driving today's anti-immigrant debate take the place of common sense,” said Beth Stickney, Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.  “Creating a legal status requirement will not make us more secure.  Timothy McVeigh and the majority of the 9/11 hijackers could all have obtained driver licenses if they had been required to prove legal status.  In fact, many noted security experts believe that letting all individuals get drivers licenses, regardless of legal status, makes us safer, since those who lack legal status will at least be documented in BMV databases instead of being completely untraceable.  This law is a recipe for discrimination and will guarantee that there will be more unlicensed drivers on Maine's roads, making us less safe, not more."

ILAP joins with the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine People’s Alliance at the press conference.

“Spending over a million dollars given the state’s budget woes to abrogate our constitutional rights doesn’t make sense,” said Shenna Bellows, Executive Director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union.  “We should treat all people, regardless of their status in our society, with dignity, respect and equal protection under the law.”

The details of the legislation have not yet been released.  Final bill language is expected to be released today.  A hearing on the bill before the Transportation Committee of the Legislature is expected for later this week.