She depends on her job to feed her three kids and put a roof over their heads. Carvajal, 35, moved from Mexico to Salt Lake City and got her Utah driver license three years ago. But, she will have to trade in her license for a driving card because of a new state law. Without the license, her employer told her she can't keep her job.

"I take care of my whole family," Carvajal said holding back tears. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

Carvajal was one of roughly 500 people, mostly Latinos, who attended a town hall meeting organized by the state Office of Ethnic Affairs on Thursday at the Centro Civico Mexicano in downtown Salt Lake City.

The two-hour meeting was supposed to be a time for state leaders to talk about the office, introduce the new director of the Office of Hispanic Affairs and discuss the state's new driver license law, but it turned into a question-and-answer session about the driving card.

About a dozen officials, including Driver License Division leaders, sat at a table on a stage as people, many undocumented, Spanish-speaking residents, asked about Senate Bill 227. The bill provides a driving card, instead of a driver license, for people without a Social Security number. It was signed into law by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on March 8, a day after about 2,000 people marched around downtown in protest of SB227.

Many said they are scared they will be treated differently when they flash their driving card, or fear law enforcement officers and Driver License Division workers will discriminate against them.

Rick Dinse, the Salt Lake City police chief, said officers are being told they are to treat all drivers, with or without a license, equally.

"They're not going to treat people differently because they have this card," he told the crowd. "I don't know how to make it any clearer than that."

Dinse urged folks to call the department if they feel they were discriminated against in any way.

Nannette Rolfe, Driver License Division director, agreed. "Let us know, we'll take care of it," she said later.

Cesar Garcia, a 48-year-old U.S. resident, asked the panel if the driving cards are supposed to be the same as a license, then why will it cost more? The driving card is $20 and people must renew it each year. A license, which also costs $20, is valid for five years.

Garcia, who moved to Salt Lake City from Guatemala 10 years ago, said the driving cards are just a way for the state to make money off of undocumented Latinos.

"That's not right," he said in Spanish afterwards. "Fine. They'll get the driving card, but for the same price of a driver license."

jsanchez@sltrib.com