Some police chiefs here in Massachusetts say scenarios like these happen too often: They arrive at the scene of a car crash and the driver runs away. They try to pull over a driver on a routine traffic stop and it turns into a high speed chase. What's going on here? Well, in some cases the driver is an illegal immigrant operating without a license and they don't want to get caught
How to you prevent this? Some police chiefs say it can be stopped by permitting undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses
Chiefs from Fitchburg, Somerville, Chelsea, Milford and Framingham tell the Globe that chasing illegal immigrant drivers is time consuming and expensive. They favor Massachusetts joining five other states who allow undocumented immigrants to drive legally. These chiefs who support the plan say they distinguish between undocumented immigrants who work and obey the law and those who commit hard core crimes.
The Massachusetts Police Association does not support the plan, fearing the license system could be misused by terrorists or other criminals
Plans to do the same here in Massachusetts have failed. The sponsor of one bill tells the Globe he received hundreds of angry emails and phones calls that forced him to withdraw the proposal
Critics say granting these licenses would "sanction illegal behavior" but supporters in other states claim it increases public safety and brings in much needed revenue
