Your Papers, Please

Since 1994, checkpoints have been illegal in the State of Texas.  DPS has taken steps to start erecting random checkpoints for drivers licenses and are now demanding citizenship documents from Texas with little to no notice. All checkpoint participation is voluntary- not mandatory.

This letter is shocking proof that our government wants our consent to make a checkpoint society part of our daily lives.  http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2008/tx-roadblock.pdf

With incremental progress and voluntary consent from willing and/or unknowing citizens, they will have the level of policing required to dominate daily routines and freedom of movement we now take for granted.

The 5-11 Campaign is part of a [growing] "rapid response" coalition to serve
notice that driver license checkpoints will be interpreted as excessive and
unwarranted use of force and a certain misappropriation of police and law
enforcement resources. Collectively we will allow this proposed curtailment
of liberty to happen or we will not! Consider saying, "NO!" while there is
yet time.

Please take a moment and past this information along to as many as you can -
now is not the time for shy and bashful.

For more information please visit: www.511Campaign.org/

 

Texas Attorney General

ATTN:  Honorable Greg Abbott

209 W.14th St.  

Austin, TX 78701

PublicInformation@OAG.state.tx.us

 

 

Dear Honorable Abbott,

 

We, The 5-11 Campaign , ask that you enter our letter as consideration in your decision making pertaining to random license checkpoints in the state of Texas.

 

Please acknowlege our letter of refusal to the Department of Public Safety for permissions as political body with sufficient powers to instill random license checkpoints in the State of Texas.

 

"The right of the [Texas] people [is] to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."  - The 4th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution

 

We opposed voluntary drivers license checkpoints throughout the state of Texas on the following grounds:

 

-  Given new DPS rules requiring visa expiration information on the front of Texas drivers licenses for those in Texas on visas, these checkpoints will function as immigration status checkpoints.

 

- It is currently illegal in the state of Texas to expand the use of checkpoints in the State of Texas as ruled in Holt v. State.

 

-  In the past 3 Texas Legislative sessions, the presidence has overwhelmingly opposed the use of checkpoints in the state of Texas for DUI's or any other reason.

 

- We oppose the use expanded use of our police enforcement officers provided to fight criminal activity to police those being stopped without probable cause.

Random license checkpoints are a tenuous violation of the 4th amendment, unlawful search and seizure without probable cause of criminal activity.  

 

-As the body of tax paying finance, we refuse all expenditures or resources to move forward for both permission and plan to institute checkpoints in the state of Texas. 

 

- Texas state licenses are not yet federally compliant with the Real ID Act of 2005 in terms of citizenship documentation. There is no such legislation to enforce citizenship demand or requirements on licenses in the State of Texas.  Expenditures or enforcements based on the Real ID Act are voluntary for both States and individual citizens.  Stopping citizens on the basis of license evaluation for documented compliance with the Real ID Act, with current extensions, is excessive use of police enforcement resources.

 

- We have determined that public advocacy & education programs often create solutions for less intrusive means to attain information than by interrupting the mobility routines of citizens going about their business.  

 

On these terms we ask you to disallow the Department of Public Safety permissions to move forward regardless of determination of their office for the above reasons.

 

We stand with others in our community who oppose checkpoints on similar grounds.

 

Regards,

 

 

Sheila Dean & The 5-11 Campaign

Terri Hall & Texas TURF

Penny Langford  for Governor 2010

Sputnik & The Texas Motrocycle Rights Association

Jonny Weaver & (Austin Community College) Project for a New American Citizen

Jon Roberts & University of Texas Chapter of Project for a New American Citizen

Erin Shotwell & Oliver Ponce, The Good Seed Cafe

Harlan Dietrich, Brave New Books

Paul Davis, Texans for Accountable Government

Karen Renick & Vickie Karp, Vote Rescue

Lisa Scheps & Transgender Education Network of Texas

 

 

 

 

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