If Chris Christie has any grey areas when it comes to his politics, the question of his position regarding undocumented immigrants surely isn’t one of them. In fact, Fox News Latino reports that the presidential prospect recently reiterated previous assertions regarding undocumented immigrants, stating his opinions in no uncertain terms.
During an “Ask the Governor” segment on New Jersey 101.5, Christie replied to an e-mailed question that raised the matter of whether or not the state should issue drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants.
“I’m not giving drivers licenses to people that are undocumented, that’s it,” Christie said in response to the query. “It is the single most important form of identification, it gets you on to airplanes … all the things that you need to do to identify yourself a driver’s license does that. I cannot give drivers licenses to people who I cannot be sure who they are and it’s that simple. I’m not doing it. And I’ve had that position right from the beginning.”
Chris Christie’s comments come just one week after the city of Bridgeton, New Jersey, unanimously passed a resolution urging the state’s legislature to consider the matter of issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented residents. According to New Jersey 101.5 , the South Jersey community has an estimated 11,000 residents who are undocumented residents.
The New Jersey Policy Perspective , a nonprofit organization that researches important matters regarding the state’s most pressing issues and policy decisions, issued a release in September, 2014, promoting a decisive, statewide paradigm shift on the question of driving privileges for the state’s undocumented immigrants. In its report, entitled “ Share the Road : Allowing Eligible Undocumented Residents Access to Driver’s Licenses Makes Sense for New Jersey,” NJPP asserted that providing drivers’ licenses to all New Jersey residents — including undocumented residents — would “would make New Jersey safer, help its economy and increase the well-being of many families.”
Christie’s uncompromising rejoinder of a position held by the likes of Bridgedon City Council, NJPP, and other organizations seems consistent with his tendency to speak bluntly on controversial issues. As reported by Inquisitr , Christie recently responded to a question regarding legalization of marijuana saying that as President, he would “crack down and not permit” marijuana use, including “legalized” marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington.
In their coverage of Christie’s comments, Fox News Latino astutely noted that the New Jersey Governor’s position on the matter of immigration will likely be a target of increased attention and scrutiny in the event that he enters the 2016 presidential race. An announcement by Chris Christie’s camp regarding a potential candidacy is expected in the coming weeks and months.
