Thread: New Mexico Judges Point Out Folly In N.M. License Policy

Editorial: Judges Point Out Folly In N.M. License Policy

“Anderson died that day on the kitchen floor of the Denny’s restaurant on Albuquerque’s West Side after she was shot during a robbery. On Tuesday, Ortiz was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the act.… this case to my mind demonstrates why it is unreasonable for the state of New Mexico to authorize the issuance of driver’s licenses to people who are unlawfully in the United States.”


By Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board on Sat, Mar 17, 2012

The paths of Stephanie Anderson and Pablo De Leon Ortiz crossed tragically on June 20, 2009.

Anderson, a cook, was 34. Ortiz, an armed robber, was 32. Anderson died that day on the kitchen floor of the Denny’s restaurant on Albuquerque’s West Side after she was shot during a robbery. On Tuesday, Ortiz was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the act.

During Ortiz’s sentencing Tuesday for felony murder, U.S. District Judge William P. “Chip” Johnson, noted from the bench that Ortiz, a native of El Salvador, had entered the country illegally and had been issued a New Mexico driver’s license.

In January, during a sentencing hearing for a man who admitted helping illegal immigrants from Poland try to get licenses, Senior U.S. District Judge James A. Parker said, “… this case to my mind demonstrates why it is unreasonable for the state of New Mexico to authorize the issuance of driver’s licenses to people who are unlawfully in the United States.”

In New Mexico you don’t need to prove you’re here legally to get a driver’s license. All you need is two proofs of identification and two proofs of an address. And as we know all too well, even these are often fake — consider the case of 48 foreign nationals claiming to live at an Albuquerque smoke shop to get licenses.

New Mexico and Washington are the only states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain the same driver’s license as a U.S. citizen. There are rules for obtaining residency, and many law-abiding immigrants follow them to citizenship. Those who don’t shouldn’t be given a legal pass to roam at will.

During three legislative sessions, Gov. Susana Martinez has pushed for repealing New Mexico’s law but has been rebuffed at the hands of Democratic legislative leaders and supporters in the caucus who last session managed to keep the issue from a roll call vote in the Senate.

Voters should have their say on this when they cast ballots for legislative candidates in November.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.

source: ABQjournal.com: Albuquerque Journal login page