NM governor says she won't change mind about driver's licenses for illegal immigrants

By Milan Simonich / Santa Fe Bureau
Posted: 03/11/2011 12:14:37 PM MST

SANTA FE - Gov. Susana Martinez this morning said she would not compromise on issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
The law is wrong and it must be repealed, she said during a news conference.

Martinez said she would stand firm against a compromise Senate bill that would continue allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses. It would require fingerprinting of foreign nationals and mandate that they renew their licenses every two years.

"I oppose that. I will not support it," Martinez said during a news conference.

She said her position reflects the will of state residents. "They do not want driver's licenses issued to illegal immigrants," Martinez said.

She is pushing instead for a bill approved by the House of Representatives. It would prevent anyone without proof of immigration status from receiving a New Mexico driver's license.
Legislators will meet on the differing House and Senate bills to see if they can reach a middle ground. But Martinez said she would not sign any bill that continues the current licensing law.

The Legislature in 2003 approved the law allowing people to receive driver's licenses without proof of immigration status.

About 83,000 licenses have since been issued to foreign nationals, some of whom are in the country illegally. The state Department of Motor Vehicles does not track how many of those had legal status and how many did not.

Foreign nationals account for about 5 percent of the nearly 1.7 million people who have New Mexico driver's licenses.
Democrats in the Senate, with one exception, supported continuing licensing undocumented immigrants who provide other forms of identification. These include individual taxpayer numbers and Matricula Consular cards for those with roots in Mexico.

Sen. John Arthur Smith of Deming was the only Democrat to vote against the Senate bill that would continue licensing those in the country illegally. Democrats control the Senate, 27-15.

New Mexico is one of three states that issues driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. The others are Utah and Washington.

Santa Fe Bureau Chief Milan Simonich can be reached at msimonich@-tnmnp.com or 505-820-6898. His blog is at nmcapitolreport.com.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17592990