Thread: Illegal immigrants given Driver's license in NY

September 21, 2007, 5:38 pm
Illegal Immigrants Will Be Allowed to Obtain Driver’s Licenses

By Sewell Chan

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced today that residents will be able to apply for state driver’s licenses without regard to immigration status. Applicants for driver’s licenses will no longer be required to provide a Social Security number or show that they are eligible for one. Instead, they will be allowed to provide foreign passports, previous state driver’s licenses and “other valid and verifiable documentsâ€

ILLEGALS U-TURN
GOV'S RULE OKS LICENSES FOR ALIENS
By KENNETH LOVETT Post Correspondent
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
PrintEmailDigg ItRedditPermalinkStory Bottom

September 21, 2007 -- ALBANY - Illegal immigrants will be able to obtain driver's licenses under a controversial new policy to be announced today by Gov. Spitzer, The Post has learned.

Under the change, the Department of Motor Vehicles will no longer require applicants provide Social Security numbers or proof that they are eligible for Social Security cards, a source said.

Instead, the DMV will accept valid foreign passports, previous state driver's licenses and other verifiable proofs of ID that would be considered on a point-based system, the source said.

"The DMV does not believe it's in the business checking a person's legal status, it's not the INS," the source said.

Following 9/11, then-Gov. George Pataki in 2002 issued an executive order requiring driver's-license applicants to show a Social Security number to prove their residency status.

Sen. Martin Golden, a Brooklyn Republican who is considering a run for mayor, blasted Spitzer for repealing the requirement, saying it will make the city a more dangerous place.

"The people of this great state didn't elect him to allow terrorists to go unchecked, and that's what he's doing," Golden said. "We'll be setting ourselves up for a worse disaster than 9/11."

Spitzer's plan, which needs no legislative approval, will be phased in in three stages beginning in December.

The change would cost the state $1.5 million in the initial stage, with the expectation that it would be offset through fees, the source said.

A Spitzer spokeswoman would not comment.

But Spitzer - who as attorney general defended the Pataki rules in court - said during last year's campaign that keeping illegal immigrants from having access to driver's licenses does not make the country more safe, but instead keeps immigrants in the "shadows" and creates a class of people with no public records.

Immigrant groups say the Pataki policy made it tough for law-abiding immigrants to work, shop for necessities and go to doctors' appointments while also making the roads more dangerous because of unlicensed and uninsured drivers.

Those who oppose allowing illegal immigrants to obtain licenses argue it is a threat to national security.

kenneth.lovett@nypost.com

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09212007/ne ... u_turn.htm

Isn't New York in violation of federal law by allowing illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses? Where is the ACLU on this one? New York is in violation of federal law yet they still plan on following through yet Hazelton who is trying to curb illegal immigration is being sued for being in violation of ferderal law! If the ACLU is going to sue Hazelton then they better arm up and sue New York but we all know that won't happen. I hope the citizens of New York who have had enough of press 1 for english 2 for spanish and are sick of the crime and gangs will stand together and challenge the officials in charge in New York to stop this.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... light=chan

Duplicate post.