Hispanics allege discrimination by Ohio state agency

Hispanics allege discrimination by Ohio state agency
NBC4i.com, October 16, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Members of Central Ohio’s Hispanic community say they are the victim of racial profiling by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The BMV sent out 47,457 letters last week to vehicle owners that do no have Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers or state identification numbers attached to their vehicle registrations.

Owners receiving the letter were told they have 60 days to produce identification or their registration will be canceled. The letter follows a change in policy that closed a legal loophole allowing undocumented immigrants without insurance or a drivers license to register a vehicle using the power of attorney process.

Stripped of their valid vehicle registration, undocumented workers could be pulled over, arrested and deported back to their home country if caught driving unregistered vehicles.

“This is nothing else but racial profiling,“ said a Columbus resident who received one of the letters this week and wished to remain anonymous. The man stated he is an American citizen and an Ohio resident for 26 years. “Nobody else got a letter, only the Spanish people.“

BMV spokesperson Lindsay Komlanc said the BMV did not look at drivers’ last names or use racial profiling in sending the letters. Komlanc said the BMV is not assuming that those receiving letters acted fraudulently, but she acknowledges the BMV is being aggressive in enforcing the law.

“The only way the scan was run was by people who did not have a social security number, drivers license number, or identification card number,“ Komlanc said. “At the end of the 60 days, anyone who has not provided the additional documentation will have their vehicle registration canceled.“

Ohio Hispanic Coalition president Joseph Mas said he and other attorneys are reviewing legal options, including the possibility of challenging the constitutionality of the BMVs actions.

“Why not wait until those vehicles come up for renewal, renewal of the plates, and then on a gradual basis begin to address that,“ Mas said. “And, of course, if we’re lucky it’s possible that the federal
government by that time would have already advanced immigration reform.“