Drivers Licenses For Illegals?

Until the illegal border crossings are stopped, and some form of policy is enacted to deal with the 12 to 20 million illegals who have already illegally crossed, some politicians seem to be on a mission to grant people who are not legal citizens to obtain a drivers license. From Jeb Bush (former Gov. of Florida) to Elliot Spitzer (current governor of New York) to the latino activist group La Raza, there seems to be a willingness to solve a problem while creating another more perilous one.

The common justification to granting DL’s to illegals is that it will make the streets safer. That is arguable but it is at least a valid point. So on that basis alone I find myself in agreement with Jeb, Elliot, and La Raza to insure that they know how to drive a car and read traffic signs and are aware of the laws regarding driving a motor vehicle. But that is where my agreement ends.

The problem that is created is the potential for abuse that a DL affords an illegal alien. With a drivers license, an illegal alien can purchase an airline ticket and open bank accounts which, you will recall, is a major enabler for terrorists. Neither of which any citizen could or should support. For legal citizens, the drivers license will get you access to federal and state government services as well. And in New York State, it allows one to register to vote. Left as is, giving a drivers license to an illegal alien is merely a step towards back-door amnesty without calling it amnesty, and facilitating voter fraud, and that’s not a good thing.

The only way I would support drivers licenses for people who are not here legally is for the license to read “Drivers License for Non-Citizen” or “Non-Citizen Drivers License,” or even “Illegal Alien Drivers License.” The license should also contain a line stating “This drivers license is for purposes of driving a motor vehicle only and is not a valid identification for voting or any other government or private service.” There is a way to effectively deal with the millions of illegals who are already here, and this is but one step in dealing with it.