Law enforcement officers have the job of protecting us, the residents of Oregon. That is an awesome responsibility. They are in a daily process of discernment as they sort out what constitutes danger and what does not. I can only imagine the stress.

I do not believe that we must be protected from undocumented persons and their families who have lived and worked in Oregon for many years and who have had their driver’s licenses stripped from them in the aftermath of the 9/11 crisis.

They are victims of a poor decision. Having worked for years as a friend, social worker and volunteer with undocumented persons and families in this community, I have had opportunities to interact with people who work hard — often holding two jobs — pay taxes, and who depend upon transportation for daily living. They need to drive to work, to church, to medical appointments, and to get children to and from school, just like the rest of us.

I have sadly witnessed the separation of immigrant families from their mothers or fathers into deportation over strictly minor infractions, such as a wrongful left-hand turn or driving without an (unobtainable) license.

Thankfully, those practices ended last April when a federal court ruled in the Maria Miranda-Olivares vs. Clackamas County (sheriff) decision. Miranda-Olivares was held in jail without bail based solely on an ICE (U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement) hold. The federal judge ruled that Miranda-Olivares’ 14th amendment rights to liberty and due process had been violated.

However, hardships remain for families if one should be stopped for a traffic violation and lack driver identification. Families with limited income must often scrape and borrow to come up with enough money to pay court fines which those of us with the privilege of a license do not have to suffer.

In a bipartisan vote, the Oregon Legislature, acknowledging the reality that undocumented workers are the backbone of Oregon’s nursery and agricultural economy and that it is a human rights issue, passed legislation in 2013 to permit a driver card, for identification purposes, to those without documentation as well as to impacted veterans and seniors.

To obtain the card, persons must pass the written and behind-the-wheel driver’s test. They can then buy auto insurance, a safety measure for all. The card cannot be used to register to vote or to obtain government benefits. It will allow drivers to have identification so they can drive to work and to other necessary engagements legally and without fear.

David O. Cross, in his anti-Measure 88 letter (In My View, Sept. 21) states that if we reinstate driving privileges to those who have been denied, we will not feel safe or tranquil in this “safe haven for criminals and terrorists.”

That is hardly my perception of the people being targeted. I admire their family values, their work ethic and their ability to tolerate racial slurs. I am not aware that Washington state, which has never rescinded the license, and the state of California, which has since reinstated the privilege of a card, have reported an increasing problem.

These are hard times. Fear often grips our hearts. We need to stay calm and to use our own discernment about whom to fear. We need to believe that law enforcement can discern between a felony and a misdemeanor and will take appropriate action for the safety of all. We do not need the hyperbole of anti-Measure 88 supporters, backed by an out-of-state interest group, whipping up our insecurities.

Voting yes for Measure 88 will ensure not only safer roads, but safer people. Hopefully that will include all of us.

— Janet Whitney lives in Bend.