Thread: Illegal immigrants to be 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
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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

Sorry I tried to remove this form this area; but it won't let me edit it away. Feel free to erase it here as I posted it in the right area now.

Moved to the News Section.

Licenses and illegal aliens are ALIPAC topics and should be placed under News from ALIPAC supporters, not in Other Topics.

W

added to the alipac homepage

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