Denver Catholic

4 FEBRUARY 10-23, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC A š ected undocumented immi- grants and Auxiliary Bishop of Denver Jorge Rodriguez brought awareness to the eš ects of the oversights present in the SB-251 and the moral obli- gation to seek its improvement, at a panel organized by Together Colorado and the Colorado Catholic Conference Jan. 31. The 2013 Colorado Road and Com- munity Safety Act (SB-251) is a program supported by the Catholic Church that has provided driver's licenses, permits and IDs to over 50,000 immigrants in Colorado. However, some lapses in the law have left 40 percent of Colorado immigrant residents without such doc- umentation. The new SB18-108 was recently proposed by state legislators with bipartisan support and is meant to address the issues raised by SB-251. "Allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses ensures that individuals without immigration status can pass driving exams, obtain insur- ance, and legally drive to work, church and school," said Jennifer Kraska, exec- utive director of the Colorado Catho- lic Conference to the Denver Catholic. "This makes our roads safer for everyone, stimulates the economy, and promotes fuller integration of immigrants into our communities.¨ "Immigrant families can carry on with their lives without the fear of being stopped by the police, fi ned or charged with driving without a license, and possibly referred to ICE for removal proceedings." The SB-251 only allows those residents with Individual Taxpayer Identifi cation Numbers (ITIN) to obtain a driver's license but does not take into account the undocumented immigrants with a Social Security Number (SSN). Some undocu- mented immigrants have SSNs for dif- ferent reasons: they came legally into the country and overstayed, they are part of the population who received SSNs before the ITIN program was created in 1996; or they are DACA recipients, who are undoc- umented but possess SSNs, valid working permits and protection from deportation. Moreover, for those Colorado immi- grants who qualify for an SB-251 license or ID, the waiting time for a mandatory in-person appoint ment can range from three months to two years. "It is our duty to work hard for the legal improvement of our system and laws, perfecting them and producing laws that respect reason and promote the common good of our country and society," said Bishop Rodriguez during his refl ection on the role of laws in society. "Law has to be based on reason and not on custom, will, politics, power or fashion." The SB18-108 seeks to make identifi - cation documents available for undocu- mented immigrants with SSNs and allow the renewal process to be done online or by mail. "I don't have a driver's license, but I have to go on. I can't stop. I have to take my children to school," said Erika Muñoz, volunteer activist with Together Colo- rado, to the Denver Catholic. "I'm afraid to get pulled over and deported one day." Muñoz is one of the many immigrants aš ected by the di‚ culties of the SB-251 renewal process. With only three o‚ ces in Colorado that provide this service, she sees her chances of obtaining documen- tation very low. "I feel frustrated, but I refuse to focus on the things I can't do. It motivates me to keep fi ghting for a change in law… and for equality and human dignity," she said. A FAMILY ISSUE Other than impacting undocumented parents, this law is also aš ecting their children's education, said Cynthia Trin- idad-Sheahan, director of secondary education and educator eš ectiveness in Adams 14 district. The law impacts the work of teachers with students, she said; many students say they couldn't go to school because their parents couldn't drive them, and they had to rely on neighbors. Still, many educators and school sys- tems have acted to meet the needs of many of these families. Trinidad-Sheahan, In-Depth BY VLADIMIR MAURICIO-PEREZ vladimir.mauricio-perez@archden.org The problem with undocumented immigrants and Catholic Church and Together Colorado seek revision of SB-251 Sundays: Kids Eat FREE / Tilapia Tuesdays: $1.00 per piece / Wednesdays: Senior Discount! Open: Sun-Thur 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Fri & Sat 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Get Your Fish Here On Fridays British Style Fish & Chips www.gbfishandchips.com 1311 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80210 720-570-5103 2175 Sheridan (Sloan's Lake) Edgewater, CO 80214 303-232-2128 5325 E. Colfax Denver, CO 80220 303-333-4551 7401 Ralston Rd. Arvada, CO 80003 303-420-9897

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