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In other words, freely available in some locales, begrudgingly tolerated in others, and practically impossible to find elsewhere? Here at TAP, we've reported on cities like New Haven, Conn., which are providing municipal I.D. cards to any resident who wants one, allowing undocumented immigrants to access crucial public services. Today the Washington Post highlights the contrasts between progressive and conservative state immigration policies across the nation; San Francisco has declared itself a "safe haven" for immigrants, New York offers driver's licenses and some medical coverage, and Illinois prevents employers from checking on a worker's immigration status. Oklahoma has veered in the opposite direction, with Republican state legislators passing every bill they can to prevent illegal immigrants from finding jobs and accessing health care or public education. In states with more forgiving policies, some counties and local governments are complaining, the Post reports. For example, in upstate New York,
Opposition is so fierce, particularly among state Republicans, that a handful of county clerks have publicly rebelled. Several have said they will instruct their driver's license offices -- many of which are staffed by county, not state, employees -- to disregard the new guidelines. And the Monroe County government, near Rochester, has gone as far as voting to continue making a valid Social Security number a requirement for a driver's license, setting up a potential legal showdown with the state.This patchwork legal landscape is one reason why it's such a shame the compromise immigration legislation didn't pass earlier this year. We need to create a path toward legality for immigrants already in the United States, or we'll slide further toward an America in which an entire class of workers lacks basic human rights. --Dana Goldstein
