Thread: NM bill would limit illegal aliens to one-year driver permit

NM bill would limit illegal immigrants to one-year 'driver permits'

By Milan Simonich / Santa Fe Bureau
Posted: 01/31/2011 03:47:54 PM MST

SANTA FE - Undocumented immigrants no longer could obtain New Mexico driver's licenses that serve as government identification, but they could still drive legally under a compromise bill introduced today.

Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, proposed revoking the licenses of foreign nationals, then requiring them to obtain a one-year permit that would be good for driving only.

Rehm, a retired sheriff's deputy, said he wanted a stricter measure that would deny undocumented immigrants any driving permit or license.

"That wouldn't make it through this Legislature," he said in an interview.

Gov. Susana Martinez, a career prosecutor before being elected in November, has called on the Legislature to repeal the 2003 law in which people

NM CAPITOL REPORT
A view from the state capitol.

can obtain New Mexico licenses without providing proof of immigration status. Rehm's proposal HB 261, does not go as far as she wanted.
About 82,700 New Mexico driver's licenses have been issued to foreign nationals.

A spokesman for the state Motor Vehicles Division said today the licensing system does not distinguish which of those had proper immigration documents and which did not. In all, about 1.7 million people have state driver's licenses.

Legislators who pushed for allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses said this would increase the number of drivers with auto insurance. Rehm said his plan for permits would still enable undocumented immigrants to buy insurance.

Eleven states once had laws allowing undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses. All but three have repealed those laws.
Utah issues permits for driving only. New Mexico and Washington state issue driver's licenses that also can be used as government identification, the type needed to board an airplane or enter a federal courthouse.

See Tuesday's edition for more details.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17251248

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Legislators who pushed for allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses said this would increase the number of drivers with auto insurance.

Oh brother...

No licenses at all for illegal aliens!

W

No driver's licenses or permits of any kind for illegal aliens. None. Nada. Zero. Zip.

Please wake up New Mexico! Some matters are non-negotiable, and illegal immigration into the US is one of them, that calls for actionable enforcement, not compromise and rewards.

The permits are for one year only from enactment of the bill from what I understand. I'd agree with it just so we have documentation of how many illegals as they are gonna drive anyways. At that point push further law making it a crime to be in NM as an illegal and then use those permits against them to capture and deport! After all they would still have their right to drive in Mexico!

Senate
http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/leg.aspx?T=S

Legislators
http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/leg.aspx?T=R

Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, proposed revoking the licenses of foreign nationals, then requiring them to obtain a one-year permit that would be good for driving only.

Rehm, a retired sheriff's deputy, said he wanted a stricter measure that would deny undocumented immigrants any driving permit or license.

Originally Posted by jean

Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, proposed revoking the licenses of foreign nationals, then requiring them to obtain a one-year permit that would be good for driving only.

Rehm, a retired sheriff's deputy, said he wanted a stricter measure that would deny undocumented immigrants any driving permit or license.

"That wouldn't make it through this Legislature," he (Rehm) said in an interview.

I think he's saying that the stricter measure** (what Martinez asked for) wouldn't pass so he's offering this permit as a compromise, thinking it's better than continuing to allow illegals to drive.

**"Gov. Susana Martinez, a career prosecutor before being elected in November, has called on the Legislature to repeal the 2003 law in which people can obtain New Mexico licenses without providing proof of immigration status."

Rehm, a retired sheriff's deputy, said he wanted a stricter measure that would deny undocumented immigrants any driving permit or license.

"That wouldn't make it through this Legislature," he said in an interview.

The fact that a bill to deny illegal invaders any driving privileges whatsoever shows how corrupted our government has become on this issue. We simply have too many illegal invader sympathizers serving on our government.

Yup. But as long as they remove the real liscenses and keep those permits out of the voter booths I'll support it for the time being. Better something then nothing and its only for a year.