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Bill could allow illegal immigrants to obtain licenses

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The mother of a young man who was hit and killed by an undocumented driver is against a bill that would allow for illegal immigrants to get licenses. A hearing regarding that bill originally set for Wednesday was changed to March due to the snow storm.

Maureen Maloney is very passionate when it comes to illegal immigrant issues after the death of her son, and her voice has the potential to become a powerful one in this debate. She is a mom and an accidental activist.

"There's a part of me that doesn't want my son to be the poster child for illegal immigrant issues."

Maloney lost her son Matthew Denice 2-years ago when illegal Ecuadorian immigrant Nicolas Guaman allegedly hit and killed the 23-year-old with his truck, dragging Denice's body down a Milford street.

Guaman has been charged with Denice's death.

"I never thought it was going to happen to me," she said.

Maloney says she honors her son's memory by becoming and advocate for families like hers and now she's speaking out against the safe driving bill. It would allow illegal immigrants like Guaman to have a license.

"These are not law abiding people. These are people that have to break the laws to survive so they're not going to suddenly start obeying our laws," she said.

According to the Center for Immigration studies, there are about 180,000 illegal immigrants in Massachusetts.

Supporters of the bill say it would make drivers safer, because illegal immigrants would have to be trained in the rules of the road, and pass a written and road test before getting a license. They'd also have to get insurance.

They say it would also allow illegal immigrants to be able to take their children to doctor's appointments and get to work.

"Nicolas Guaman has a second grade education from Ecuador. He doesn't speak English. He never would have been able to pass a test like this," Maloney said.

Similar laws allowing illegal immigrants to get a license are in effect in states like Connecticut, Nevada and New Mexico, with varied results.

Maloney thinks law makers in the Commonwealth should be focused on one thing.

"Enforce our current laws and don't make it easier for people that are breaking the law. It happened to me, it can happen to anybody. It can happen to them. And I don't want it to happen to anybody," she said.