This is incredible. The tagline on the article reads, “Immigrant activists say roadblocks discriminate against those without licenses.” What? Those without licenses are breaking the law, how is that discrimination? Of course this story originates from Oakland where liberalism runs amok.

OAKLAND -- Oakland police officers have stopped setting up roadblocks to check whether drivers are under the influence because of a rash of complaints from the Latino community and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente.

The checkpoints, which allow officers to demand licenses and proof of insurance, are an effective way to get drunken drivers off Oakland's streets, city leaders agree. But the checks also have ensnared dozens of illegal immigrants who are not licensed to drive yet otherwise obey the law.

This article is written by a staff writer for the Oakland Tribune named Heather MacDonald. However, I'm having trouble following Heather's statement that “illegal immigrants who are not licensed to drive yet otherwise obey the law.” How can an ILLEGAL immigrant otherwise be obeying the law? They are here illegally. Every moment of every day their bodies are on this side of our national border, they are in violation of federal law.

Legislation that would have allowed illegal immigrants who submit to background checks to apply for a California driver's license was vetoed this week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Thank goodness for Arnold. If Davis were still in office, that would have been rubber-stamped and on its way to implementation.

Oakland at least seems to have one Council member with a modicum of common sense.

However, the month-long moratorium on checkpoints has outraged Council member Larry Reid (Elmhurst-East Oakland), who calls the change a threat to public safety.

"It is absolutely insane to stop these checkpoints," Reid said. "I would not want to explain to a mother why we stopped doing these checkpoints when we know they work and her son or daughter was killed."

He's quoted further down the article as well:

Reid said he has little sympathy with Rodriguez's position.

"I don't care if they are illegal immigrants," Reid said.

"They should not be driving on our streets without a license, without insurance. I expect the Oakland Police Department to do its job and get them off the street."

What's most appalling about this is that the city is debating new checkpoint guidelines.

The new checkpoint guidelines, which are not final, may call for police to notify Latino community organizations of the time and location of coming checkpoints. The checkpoints will be held after the evening rush-hour commute and rotated throughout the city, officials said.

So they want to call the people who will be breaking the law and let them know how to avoid the police? Why not call up some bank robbers and arrange for them to get keys to all the area bank vaults? How can you run a city that way? If political correctness was a country, it seems Oakland would be a good choice for its capital.

UPDATE: I got so mad reading that, I forgot the Hat Tip to Michelle. Sorry about that.

UPDATE II: It seems even someone as whacko as Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown can even tell this is a bad idea, and the checkpoints are back on. And they're going to tell everyone where they are, not just the illegals.