(TN) Driver's license office sued over immigrant's seized ID. Immigrant charges racial profiling.

[Ed Barrow]

Source: The Tennessean

The Tennessee Department of Safety is facing a class-action lawsuit after at least two driver's license station workers confiscated a Hispanic woman's proof of citizenship, returning it so badly damaged it had to be replaced.

Nashville immigration attorney Elliott Ozment filed the federal suit Thursday, stating that driver's license clerks confiscated at least 100 documents in the past five years. He expects, when records are obtained for the case from the Department of Safety, which runs the stations, to prove many of those were taken from Hispanics over forgery concerns.

"This is a problem and not a one-time thing," Ozment said.

...

The lawsuit accuses the Department of Safety of violation of civil rights from illegal seizures and seeks an injunction to keep the department from confiscating identification documents from Hispanics.


Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100625/NEWS03/6250328/Driver+s+license+office+sued+over+immigrant+s+seized+ID

[alp227]

1. Ahh, destroying the evidence much? Surely telling of the employees' ethics.

FIRE THEM and have 'em work at a fast food restaurant instead. Some people's brains have too much wood around them.

[Braulio]

3. I think they should refuse forgeries

It's evident forgeries shouldn't be accepted. If these documents are suspect, they should be verified. The only thing I would do different is to have government offices have the access to data bases and other information they need to do the checking themselves, on the spot. This way they can avoid giving false documents to illegal aliens and other miscreants.

[TheMadMonk]

6. It's evident that you should read the bloody article. Someone deliberately...

...(and I can only presume for racist reasons) damaged legal documents in order to try to make them LOOK like forgeries.

[radhika]

2. FIRE them, and deny them Unemployment Insurance n/t

[SunnySong]

4. They did their job. I(f you don't like the policy change the policy why pick on

a working person who is very likely a poor minority herself.

[TheMadMonk]

5. When EVERYONE follows policy. They are doing their job. When TWO...

...act unilaterally in excess of regulation I look for the elephant in the room, not excuses for reprehensible behaviour.