No free ride for immigrants, but they'd like licenses to drive

The Brazilian Immigrant Center plans to team up with the Irish Immigration Center and other advocates in their fight for a common cause: driver's licenses for working, tax-paying, but undocumented immigrants.

The groups are meeting Jan. 23 with state Representative Timothy J. Toomey to discuss legislation on the license issue.

"We're excited that we have more sponsors for our bill -- and we want to show our leaders who we are and assure them that they have our support," said Mariana Wagner of the Brazilian immigrant group, based in Allston.

Last year Massachusetts legislators killed a bill that would have permitted undocumented immigrants who work and pay taxes to file for driver's licenses using their taxpayer identification number instead of a Social Security number, as the law currently requires. Before that move, Governor Mitt Romney had declared: "Those who are here illegally should not receive tacit support from our government that gives an indication of legitimacy."

But advocates for driver's license legislation -- a group that includes immigrants, legislators, and law enforcement officials -- say that this isn't the issue.

"I think it should be enough that I work and pay taxes here, just like everyone else," said Kenneth Deery, an undocumented immigrant living in East Boston. "But the bigger issue here is public safety. . . . Having unlicensed and uninsured drivers out there is dangerous, and it drives insurance rates up. It's bad for everyone."

AVI STEINBERG