Naturalized citizens are 2nd class citizens

[Samjm]

Today I went to renew my Driver’s License. In order to do that you need to have your social security number, your old driver’s license, proof of address, proof that you are legally allowed to be here. (I'm in Colorado).

I took my US passport with me to prove that I am a US Citizen, and therefore legally allowed to be here.

But no. According to the woman at the DMV, that is not enough evidence. WTF? It’s good enough for me to enter the country but not good enough to renew my driver’s license?

Her explanation – they have no proof of how I got from being a legal immigrant (what they have in their system from when I got my license last time) to how I got a passport. WTF?

When I argued with her about it her response was “Well you’d be surprised what people try and get away with”. OK, fine, I’m sure people try all kinds of crap. But this is a FEDERAL IDENTITY DOCUMENT. It’s good enough to prove citizenship in every other case. How the hell do you think I got the damn passport in the first place?

So does that also mean you don’t accept a passport for a first time application? I mean there is no proof on how they got from not existing in your system to having a passport. Do you accept a passport for someone transferring their license from one state to another? You don’t have proof of how they got their passport either.

So in their system I am still a resident alien. She was perfectly willing to accept the green card in their system from when I last got my license. The green card that NO LONGER EXISTS. That was just fine. But the actual, current US passport was not acceptable?

This is the second time that my citizenship has been questioned because I wasn't born here (the other time was when the CO Sec. of State tried to purge me from the voter rolls earlier this year).

So once again - once an alien, always an alien. Apparently you have “real” citizens (citizens by birth) and then 2nd class citizens (Naturalized Citizens).

[riverbendviewgal]

1. write to the justice department

The citizen departments, the ACLU, your congressman and senator. And ask them what story is . this sounds like there is some misinformation in the motor vehicle departments. Don't let this rest.

[Samjm]

2. I'm planning to

I'm composing a letter that will be sent to:

The Dept of Justice
The Manager at the DMV
My congress people (local and federal)
The media

I hadn't thought to include the ACLU - I may do that. They already know me from my earlier run in with Herr Gessler.

[treestar]

3. Bullshit

Ask for her supervisor. Asshole. A US passport is conclusive proof you are a US citizen. There is no issue left as to how you got there. A bureaucrat in the DMV of a state does not have authority to question that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Talk to a super too

You got a racist $&;$(($& who did not follow procedure.

I know...I had to do that once.

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. Absolute racist and NOT possibly simply uninformed?

Harsh and judgmental.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. DMV and its equivalents are the butt of many jokes for good reason

And I agree, do not attribute to malice that which can be explained fully by dumbfuckery

I had similar experience at MVA in MD. They only accepted what was on their list of docs and nothing else. The schools were just as bad.

In the end you have to pay their silly game since they have all the power.

[Hekate]

5. It's not just you, you know. If you've been reading this board...

... you know that it's gotten bad out there for a lot of people in a lot of categories. A friend of mine spent a horrible day at her Florida DMV trying to renew her driver's license, and she is a born in the USA white person.

How to fight back? I would have started by asking politely but firmly to speak to a supervisor. Past that, I am sure a lot of DUers will have better ideas on how to proceed, how to take things further in the moment, and how to get this mess sorted out.

You have my sympathy. But a second-class citizen? No, we are all in this together, and people are starting to figure out just how badly distorted the system has become.

Hekate

[Downwinder]

7. Seven plus generations and I'm still having problems.

[Mariana]

8. This employee is probably misinterpreting the requirement.

I hope, anyway, that is the case. It almost sounds like she was accusing you of presenting a fake passport. That's way out of line and I don't blame you for being angry.

My husband and my brother in law were both naturalized fairly recently and haven't had any such problems, so this isnt' happening to everyone who wasn't born here. I should say, it hasn't happened to them yet.

You probably should get this fixed, though. If the DMV has you on file as an alien, they may be cross-checking voter registration with that data, and that may be why they purged you from the voter rolls. You may very well find yourself purged again in the future.

[Salviati]

9. The woman at the DMV was a moron

According to the information found at the links below,a valid passport, or one that has been expired less than 10 years is all you need.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Revenue-MV%2FRMVLayout&cid=1186476450044&pagename=RMVWrapper

[jsr]

10. She needs to be fired

for being so stupid.

[HipChick]

11. She's an idiot..

I've never had a problem...