Illegal immigrants in New York will be allowed to obtain New York State driver's licenses under a new policy that the Spitzer administration is expected to announce shortly, a source said.
Starting in 2008, the Department of Motor Vehicles will accept foreign passports and birth certificates from immigrants as proofs of identification for new license applications. Immigrants will no longer need to provide legal status paperwork or a Social Security card, the source said.
The changes could not be immediately confirmed by the Spitzer administration.
County clerks around the state came to Albany yesterday to meet with officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss the new policy, according to the source, who said the commissioner, David Swarts, briefed the Bloomberg administration.
During last year's gubernatorial campaign, Mr. Spitzer said he would permit illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, arguing that banning them from driving worsened the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers without adding to security.
"The facts show that restricting immigrants's access to driver's licenses does nothing to improve security," a spokeswoman for Mr. Spitzer, Christine Anderson, told the Associated Press in October. "All it does is drive immigrants into the shadows, creating a class of people with no public records."
Opponents of the proposed changes said restrictions on giving licenses to illegal immigrants help to prevent identity theft and thwart terrorist attacks. They note that the September 11, 2001 plane hijackers had at least 35 licenses, which helped them to rent cars and open bank accounts.
Since the September 11 attacks, state governments have expanded driver's license identification requirements and many have begun preparing for the implementation of the Real ID Act of 2005, which requires states to adopt national standards for driver's licenses by the end of 2009.
New York is one of more than 30 states to verify the Social Security numbers of driver's license applicants.
In 2002, Mr. Pataki issued an executive order that required driver's license applicants to submit Social Security numbers to prove they were legal residents or to provide proof that they were not eligible for a Social Security number.
In 2004, to comply with an executive order issued by Mr. Pataki, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles began sending out warning letters to New Yorkers with licenses whose Social Security numbers did not match federal data.
About 58% of the 600,000 individuals who received the letter verified their Social Security numbers. Those individuals who did not verify their numbers will be able to get a legal license by December, the source said.
| Title | By | Date |
why not [100 words] |
kerron |
Nov 8, 2007 20:45 |
Keep it real [21 words] |
observer |
Nov 6, 2007 09:05 |
Thank you Governor Spitzer [323 words] |
Sherry |
Oct 31, 2007 12:13 |
Illegal aliens having driver's licenses? [73 words] |
Chris Anderson |
Oct 31, 2007 02:35 |
Recall Spitzer like Davis in California [18 words] |
Ron |
Oct 20, 2007 15:36 |
Oh brother! [66 words] |
Shelley |
Oct 15, 2007 11:03 |
RECALL Spitzer! [12 words] |
Jacqueline Benvenuto |
Oct 11, 2007 19:20 |
making it okay [239 words] |
Greg P. |
Oct 10, 2007 10:09 |
NO drivers licences for LAWBREAKERS! [29 words] |
Holly Dutton |
Oct 8, 2007 21:30 |
A simpleThank you [77 words] |
Angela |
Oct 6, 2007 16:40 |
BAD Idea [55 words] |
DisgustedUpstateNYer |
Oct 6, 2007 15:54 |
Illegals are good for the economy [104 words] |
sean |
Oct 5, 2007 16:32 |
Thank you. [82 words] |
Lizbeth |
Oct 5, 2007 11:18 |
↔ THANK YOU??? [88 words] |
zouave |
Oct 20, 2007 18:47 |
↔ leave them alone [164 words] |
Tonya Jones |
Oct 22, 2007 11:26 |
↔ Let all immigrants be given equal social security opportunity. [156 words] |
Peter Azolibe |
Nov 2, 2007 12:44 |
A great idea. [12 words] |
irma |
Oct 4, 2007 10:54 |
lets be serious!!! [257 words] |
swiff pipez |
Oct 3, 2007 22:31 |
RE- ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVERS LICENSE [122 words] |
SONIA PENNY |
Oct 3, 2007 20:38 |
Great , most of them are honest and hard working people , is just great !!! [97 words] |
Charlie |
Oct 2, 2007 14:30 |
let them have there drivers license [38 words] |
mary rivera |
Sep 29, 2007 15:30 |
↔ at last!!! [118 words] |
jo |
Oct 3, 2007 14:03 |
↔ they are eligible for car insurance [8 words] |
Catherine |
Oct 10, 2007 14:15 |
↔ i [16 words] |
jackey |
Oct 24, 2007 19:00 |
yay more drivers without car insurance [13 words] |
dan |
Sep 28, 2007 19:52 |
↔ They are eligible [17 words] |
Catherine |
Oct 10, 2007 14:10 |
↔ They always had! [86 words] |
Al Lenz |
Oct 12, 2007 12:28 |
↔ re:yay more drivers withut insurance [37 words] |
rh |
Oct 15, 2007 16:14 |
↔ recall & exile [218 words] |
nosreffej samoht |
Oct 18, 2007 19:37 |
Driver License for Illegal Immigrants [153 words] |
All About Long Island |
Sep 28, 2007 15:15 |
↔ let them have it. [59 words] |
mhm |
Oct 11, 2007 19:17 |
↔ Just another Government O.K.ed scam! [53 words] |
Al |
Oct 19, 2007 01:34 |
↔ don't let these illegals drive [113 words] |
james |
Oct 20, 2007 17:57 |
↔ Is it fair? [134 words] |
Spud |
Oct 21, 2007 00:16 |
Have our leaders lost their minds? [125 words] |
Diogenes |
Sep 28, 2007 12:50 |
Spitzer is crazy [115 words] |
William Cullens |
Sep 27, 2007 20:29 |
↔ Spitzer is out of his mind [76 words] |
Jan |
Sep 29, 2007 04:36 |
↔ illegal immigrants get Driver's License .. [33 words] |
Gilda Stawicki |
Oct 18, 2007 17:19 |
↔ One of the BEST people in USA [148 words] |
OkMan |
Oct 27, 2007 20:41 |
what about student immigrants??? [47 words] |
Erica |
Sep 26, 2007 20:11 |
↔ great idea [24 words] |
Michael |
Sep 27, 2007 15:29 |
about time [71 words] |
Justin |
Sep 26, 2007 15:13 |
Yes [43 words] |
sandy |
Sep 26, 2007 12:31 |
illegal immigrants get drivers licenses [47 words] |
LAURA CONNELLY |
Sep 25, 2007 10:07 |
↔ Regulation is better than criminalization [100 words] |
Russ |
Sep 26, 2007 11:06 |
↔ Unbelievable! [53 words] |
Arlene |
Sep 26, 2007 13:25 |
↔ better than section 8 [44 words] |
mark |
Sep 26, 2007 21:36 |
↔ What? [86 words] |
elsa |
Sep 27, 2007 21:38 |
↔ Ignorance [197 words] |
Maria |
Sep 27, 2007 23:28 |
↔ very good idea [24 words] |
Ronald |
Sep 28, 2007 18:31 |
↔ LAURA CONNELLY [13 words] |
sandra |
Sep 29, 2007 01:29 |
↔ Good Idea [55 words] |
cindy |
Sep 29, 2007 14:15 |
↔ Nobody is forced to be criminal. [90 words] |
tiffany |
Oct 3, 2007 23:04 |
↔ GOOD ACT [59 words] |
Neil |
Oct 15, 2007 11:38 |
↔ re:laura conelly [7 words] |
rh |
Oct 15, 2007 16:17 |
↔ criminalization? [45 words] |
wedel |
Oct 30, 2007 17:31 |
registered voters [82 words] |
Lilathe |
Sep 23, 2007 17:13 |
↔ Take a look around [77 words] |
Maria |
Oct 1, 2007 18:30 |
↔ You point out the problem yourself. [129 words] |
Tiffany |
Oct 4, 2007 12:31 |
↔ not a problem to me [61 words] |
sean |
Oct 5, 2007 16:43 |
↔ LETS GET REAL!! [124 words] |
Alen |
Oct 10, 2007 02:19 |
Value of U. S. Citizenship [273 words] |
fpleti |
Sep 22, 2007 21:50 |
↔ great idea [16 words] |
melsa |
Oct 29, 2007 19:12 |
Start collecting signatures to recall Spitzer, now! [43 words] |
jenesus |
Sep 22, 2007 21:29 |
↔ spitzer should not only be recalled but arrested [119 words] |
j bert |
Oct 9, 2007 18:21 |
↔ How to recall a governor [220 words] |
beth |
Oct 10, 2007 12:24 |
↔ Can't Wait to sign [24 words] |
J Roz |
Oct 12, 2007 11:21 |
↔ Ignorant. [213 words] |
Rose |
Oct 17, 2007 09:32 |
↔ recall Spitzer [43 words] |
Melanie Coronetz |
Oct 17, 2007 15:50 |
↔ secede all counties west of I-88. [46 words] |
Jibreel Riley |
Nov 1, 2007 22:04 |
Step in wrong direction... [263 words] |
Jay |
Sep 22, 2007 21:19 |
"The DMV" as Gatekeeper...Heaven Help Us [99 words] |
OCULUS |
Sep 21, 2007 09:31 |
↔ finally! [122 words] |
kirby |
Sep 26, 2007 11:44 |
↔ Let the illegal immigrants get Driver's Licenses (Especially Students) [122 words] |
Rahul |
Oct 4, 2007 11:13 |
↔ Illegal Immigrants [113 words] |
Richard Chapman |
Oct 11, 2007 18:56 |
