Thread: Shifting His Stance on Licenses, Spitzer Is Expected to Back

October 28, 2007
Spitzer Tries New Tack on Immigrants’ Licenses
By DANNY HAKIM

ALBANY, Oct. 27 — In a major shift, Gov. Eliot Spitzer is backing off his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain the same kind of driver’s licenses as other New Yorkers, after weeks of furor over the proposal.

Instead, the governor said on Saturday, illegal immigrants in the state would be able to obtain a license that would permit them to drive but would not be accepted as identification to board planes or cross borders.

Other New Yorkers who can prove that they are legal residents of the United States would be eligible for federally recognized ID cards. These would serve as driver’s licenses and would be accepted as identification for a number of purposes, including boarding planes and entering federal facilities.

The move followed a wave of criticism over the governor’s proposal, with many Democrats warning that Mr. Spitzer had put the party in political peril. The new plan also reflects the increasingly complicated security requirements that have been developed by the federal government since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The plan will probably do little if anything to quell the controversy over the issue, as people on both sides of the debate in New York expressed concern about it on Saturday. Also, financing for the plan, which is expected to be costly, will probably still require the approval of a restive State Legislature.

And even though Mr. Spitzer announced his new plan at a news conference in Washington with Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Chertoff explicitly did not condone the move by New York and some other states to allow illegal immigrants to apply for any kind of driver’s license.

“I don’t endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice,â€

What a load of crap!! Its like saying it's ok that you are here, is this license going to keep them from being deported? It's all smoking mirrors! and aid and abetting and now our own head of home land security is appoving and aiding and abetting also,throw him out!! where is it going to end ?



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Ommmm....I have a prediction...the spirits tell me...this is just a scam to calm the ignorant masses till after the elections...When the public settles down on immigration and business goes back to normal for the ruling elite a lawsuit will be filed on behalf of some "poor damaged American citizen" with dark skin who somehow only has the illegal alien version license. The suit will allege that separate drivers licenses is somehow defacto discrimination and will demand that they be combined with the regular ones. The Governer will then be forced after some handwringing to settle with the ACLU and comrades...all done without lasting political damage to the Democratic Party or their minions.

IMMIGRATION: Deal struck on licenses for illegal aliens
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and New York cut a deal Saturday to create a new generation of super-secure driver’s licenses for U.S. citizens, but also allow illegal immigrants to get a version.

New York is the fourth state to reach an agreement on federally approved secure licenses, after Arizona, Vermont and Washington. The issue is pressing for border states, where new and tighter rules are soon to go into effect for crossings.

The Arizona deal announced in August does not contemplate issuing licenses to illegal immigrants, said Jeanine L’Ecuyer, a spokeswoman for Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

The proposed Arizona version would not be available to anyone illegally in the country, since one of the intended uses of the 3-in-1 identity card would be to prove U.S. citizenship, L’Ecuyer said. It could be used as a license, as proof of citizenship and as a passport-like document valid for travel in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It would be voluntary and available for a small extra fee.

“It is something that clearly would not be available for people who are in the county illegally,â€

Spitzer lets down NY - Spitzer falló a NY
EDITORIAL - 10/28/2007
Otros Titulares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Governor Eliot Spitzer took a big step backwards in his policy on driver’s licenses. His introduction of a tiered license system will stitch a scarlet letter on undocumented immigrants instead of drawing them out of the shadows.

Spitzer, with Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff, yesterday announced that three different classes of licenses will be available to New Yorkers. The license that will be offered to undocumented immigrant New Yorkers will be labeled “not for U.S. government purposes.â€

Article published Oct 28, 2007
N.Y. IDs to comply with act
October 28, 2007

By Stephen Dinan - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said yesterday that his state will produce driver's licenses in compliance with the federal Real ID Act, setting up a multitiered system to accommodate legal residents and issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

Mr. Spitzer, a Democrat who announced the deal in Washington with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, said New York "will usher in the most secure licensing system in the nation."

The move is a significant advancement for Real ID, which several states have rejected.

Real ID was enacted in 2005, but the Homeland Security Department is still writing final rules for the program. It will require only secure driver's licenses or nondriver's ID cards to be used for federal identification purposes, such as airport security.

It is not clear whether Mr. Spitzer's action will help him overcome political backlash after he announced that illegal aliens would be able to obtain state driver's licenses.

Immigrant-rights activists, who were encouraged by the governor's earlier announcement, yesterday said they were outraged.

"Today the governor retreated from his own policy and crossed the line to the other side," said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

Yet the move is unlikely to mollify those who oppose driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Illegal aliens will be able to use the state IDs to open accounts at banks willing to accept the document.

The New York Senate has passed a bill to prohibit the licenses for illegal aliens, blocking an executive order announced last month in which Mr. Spitzer said illegal aliens could show passports and other documents to prove their identity and state residency.

Legal residents can choose from two licenses: a secure license that would comply with new U.S. international travel regulations and a regular license that would comply with Real ID.

Mr. Chertoff said, "I don't endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice. What we can do is insist the licenses that do not meet federal requirements be clearly so labeled. New York has agreed to do that."

Seven states have enacted laws against Real ID standards, and the American Civil Liberties Union said another 10 states have passed resolutions calling on Congress to repeal the act.

"Eliot Spitzer is acting in isolation," said ACLU legislative counsel Timothy D. Sparapani. "No other governor, Republican or Democratic, has been willing to impose such a huge tax increase on citizens and sell out their privacy for this failed program."

Congress is divided on the issue. Some lawmakers are fighting to repeal the act, but others have proposed millions of dollars to help states adopt Real ID standards.
http://washingtontimes.com/article/2007 ... 80044/1001

This is the real issue; all those who already have driver's licenses in New York have already shown three forms of ID; your social security number; your birth certificate; and a picture with your ID on it. Since this is the standard already used these licenses issued in the past and for the now are valid.

Here is the simple question; are we all expected to pay more now for these new licenses when we already have and proven we are American citizens?
This I guess would be first tier.

Alright the second tier one I think is a waste but probably cost less.( Something to rake in more money for the state of dumb ideas).


Now the one that will be issued to illegal immigrants the third tier; will not state their illegal but may prevent them from voter fraud hopefully; plus no flying allowed and traveling abroad. The Cheapest one to be issued. Alright I guess I can live with it but I know we taxpayers are paying for it. (Still not right to give illegals incentives like these; and believe the real goal in the end is amnesty down the path)



Here is the simple money saving solution......we New Yorkers who have licenses now proven ourselves Americans already and our licenses are good. So why waste the money in something that will take years to implement. Unless they will be giving the third tier license to illegal immigrants right off. Well here is the simple solution........ New Yorkers keep the valid proven American Citizen driver's license they now have .....illegal immigrants will get the same thing only colored green. Save's money time and identifies them quickly the only change will be the cost for ink to print in green.

If the real goal here is to just allow them to have a license to drive this would solve the problem in a cost effective manner.




As far as Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat who said:



Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, who had supported the governors initial
policy, expressed disappointment.

“That’s a position that, initially, many of the advocates and myself opposed, a two-tier,â€

This is a scam against the American People, especially the one's against Real ID. This is the camel nose under the tent. They get what they want (license for Illegal immigrants) and we get the beginning of the Real ID.

Before they said the Federal Government is the only one who could enforce the laws against illegal immigrant invaders, when States or local municipalities took measures into their own hands. Now all of a sudden Chertoff claims States have that right. This was a setup all along me thinks.

This is a lose, lose, situation for all Americans, it must be stopped.

[quote]“This is the perfect policy outcome,â€

Just posted:
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=88494

I never thought the ACLU would help drive home a point for me.

Although DHS is the agency tasked to create guidelines for states to implement Real ID, it has failed to issue final regulations for implementation more than two years after the law was passed. That failure, along with its $23 billion price tag, and the dangers it poses to Americans' privacy and identity security, have led seven states to pass laws against implementing Real ID, and an additional 10 to pass resolutions calling on Congress to repeal the Act.

The Real ID Act was passed in 2005, attached to an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. It received no hearings or full debate in the Congress. Since its passage, states have balked at the massive cost and have complained that the law would expose citizens to invasions of privacy and identity theft. The state rebellion against Real ID has led to the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress to repeal the Act. This past summer, the U.S. Senate twice voted against expanding and providing funding for Real ID.

"Spitzer is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory," said Technology and Liberty Program Director Barry Steinhardt. "According to the Department of Homeland Security's own numbers, Real ID will force Americans to pay nearly $100 to get a driver's license. The fact that Spitzer is willing to plunge his state into fiscal irresponsibility, while exposing his constituents to massive identity theft, is unfathomable. Other governors across the country are standing up to the Department of Homeland Security's fear-mongering. Real ID is a failed program on life support; Spitzer's attempt to resuscitate it is a major mistake, and a slap in the face of New Yorkers."
To learn more, visit www.realnightmare.org

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/32 ... 71027.html

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Spitzer sure seems to be acting very illegal on this issue. I suggest he read 8 United States Code Section 1324. Seems to me that something is very illegal about issuing drivers licenses or other identity document to an illegal alien. FINALORDER