FLASHBACK: Federal judge orders Arizona to issue driver's licenses to thousands of illegal immigrants

Saturday, June 11, 2016 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: illegal immigrants, driver''s licenses, Arizona

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(NaturalNews) Another nail in the coffin of the once-great nation that was America occurred just recently, thanks to a ruling by a federal judge in a case that should never have even made it to court.

As reported by The Associated Press (AP), U.S. District Judge David Campbell cleared the way for thousands of young illegal immigrants in Arizona who were protected from deportation by President Obama's executive action to now be able to apply for and receive driver's licenses.

The ruling was a preliminary injunction against the state from being able to enforce Gov. Jan Brewer's policy of denying the younger illegal immigrants licenses, as part of the state's efforts to keep its elections fair and equitable.

The injunction, which took effect Dec. 22, was supposedly just a formality that builds on a ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the nation's most liberal, in July.

Keeping elections fair and legal is somehow not in Arizona's interests?

The AP reported:

The move in Arizona to deny the licenses was a reaction to steps taken by the Obama administration in June 2012 to shield thousands of immigrants from deportation. Brewer's move marked the nation's most visible challenge to the Obama policy.

She has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review her appeal of the 9th Circuit decision.

Nebraska is the only other state to have made similar denials, and a federal judge this year dismissed a lawsuit contesting that state's policy.

Obama's executive action is applicable to illegal immigrants younger than 30 years old who allegedly came into the country before their 16th birthday (though honestly, there is no real way to be able to verify how old they really were when they actually got into the country), have been in the U.S. at least five continuous years (again, verification), are enrolled in or have graduated from high school or a GED program, or have served in the U.S. military.

In addition, the AP noted, under Obama's action applicants could also apply for two-year renewable work permits.

In August 2012 Brewer issued her own executive order that directed state agencies to deny driver's licenses and additional public benefits to illegal immigrants who got work authorizations under Obama's action.

Attorneys for the state argued that Brewer's order came out of concerns of liability and the aim of reducing the risk to taxpayers of licenses being used to improperly access public benefits. Other proponents of Brewer's action noted that the licenses could also be used to vote in elections -- a right that non-citizens do not possess in Arizona or the U.S. in general.

Immigration rights advocates complained, however, that her rule change made it harder or even impossible for young illegals to participate in essential activities like going to school and stores, as well as finding and holding a job.

So much for sovereignty

The AP further reported:

In July, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that there was no legitimate state interest in treating the immigrants differently from other noncitizens who could apply for driver's licenses. Instead, the court suggested Brewer's order was intended to express hostility toward the immigrants, in part because of the federal government's policy toward them.

How the judges on the appeals court could possibly know what was in Brewer's heart and mind when she issued her order -- other than what she publicly stated as the reasons for doing so -- is anybody's guess. It's also hard to see how a court could find that preventing non-citizens from participating in activities reserved only to citizens by law -- like voting -- is not in the state's interests.

After Obama, via executive memorandum, directed the Department of Homeland Security in November to broaden his 2012 order, Arizona joined 23 other states in a federal suit alleging that he overstepped his constitutional powers in a manner that will simply worsen humanitarian crises along the U.S. border.

All changes to immigration law should be done through Congress, the plaintiffs in that suit argue.

Sources:

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.azcentral.com

http://pjmedia.com