Illegal Immigrants Allowed to Obtain Driver’s Licenses!!!

[RW'07]

Illegal Immigrants Will Be Allowed to Obtain Driver’s Licenses
By Sewell Chan

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced today that residents will be able to apply for state driver’s licenses without regard to immigration status. Applicants for driver’s licenses will no longer be required to provide a Social Security number or show that they are eligible for one. Instead, they will be allowed to provide foreign passports, previous state driver’s licenses and “other valid and verifiable documents” to prove their identity.
Officials in New York estimate that there are tens of thousands of undocumented, unlicensed and uninsured drivers in New York. Mr. Spitzer announced the change along with new security measures that he said would make the licensing system more tamper-proof. Currently, eight other states — Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington — do not require drivers to prove legal status in order to obtain a license, according to the Spitzer administration.
Mr. Spitzer said that expanding access to driver’s licenses would improve traffic safety and lower auto insurance rates. But the move has spurred debate among opponents of illegal immigration, who believe that relaxing licensing standards effectively encourages undocumented immigrants to enter the country.
State law requires license applicants to prove their identity, date of birth, and fitness to drive, and to provide a Social Security number. The last requirement was added in 1995 as part of an effort to punish parents who were not paying child support. In 2002, a state regulation was adopted to allow applicants who are ineligible for a Social Security number to also apply for driver’s licenses.
But at that point, Gov. George E. Pataki, Mr. Spitzer’s predecessor, issued a policy that stipulated that the only way to define “ineligibility” would be through obtaining a formal letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration, a letter that is only obtainable by individuals who have legal immigration status. That step made it effectively impossible for illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
Mr. Spitzer said that the Department of Motor Vehicles would introduce new anti-fraud measures, including document verification technology, photograph comparison tools and trained staff members with “expertise in foreign-sourced identity documents.” The department will also propose that license applicants be required to prove that they reside in New York State; currently, 27 states have such residency requirements.
The change will take place in two phases. In the first phase, the Department of Motor Vehicle letters will immediately send about 152,000 New Yorkers, who at one point had (or currently have) a driver’s license, but have been unable to renew it. Those people can apply to renew their license at the end of the year and will be required to prove their identity, date of birth and fitness to drive.
The second phase, to begin six to eight months from now, will open the driver’s license application process to all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...vers-licenses/

[Lucky225]

I am *SICK* and *TIRED* of this propaganda. Social Security Numbers do not = legal status. Many people are not eligible for Social Security Numbers, and many US citizens don't have them or have ever applied for them due to religious objections(mark of the beast). You still have to show legal presence(like a US VISA) the foreign passport is to prove identity and the fact that you're not eligible for SSN. Here in TX you simply sign a document stating that you don't have an SSN. I'm a US Citizen, but I don't have an SSN, at least not for the name I got my driver license in, and I have a religious objection to SSNs, so I showed my birth certificate and signed off saying I don't have an SSN, that doesn't make me an illegal immigrant. I was born here for christ's sake and I'm white.

[RW'07]

I am *SICK* and *TIRED* of this propaganda. Social Security Numbers do not = legal status. Many people are not eligible for Social Security Numbers, and many US citizens don't have them or have ever applied for them due to religious objections(mark of the beast). You still have to show legal presence(like a US VISA) the foreign passport is to prove identity and the fact that you're not eligible for SSN. Here in TX you simply sign a document stating that you don't have an SSN. I'm a US Citizen, but I don't have an SSN, at least not for the name I got my driver license in, and I have a religious objection to SSNs, so I showed my birth certificate and signed off saying I don't have an SSN, that doesn't make me an illegal immigrant. I was born here for christ's sake and I'm white.

You call NEWS propaganda???????????? Or maybe you would like that "some" news that YOU do not agree with to go UNTOLD??????

What a hell religion has to do with a document, SSN in this case, that MUST be required for EVERYBODY in order to get a job country-wide!!! Same for a driver licence, you cannot issue licences (and driving is not A right at all) to people who entered ILLEGALLY the country!!!
Up here in Canada, a pretty much LIBERAL country (Alberta is the sole exception...), is MANDATORY to provide the human resources dept with a proper Social Insurance Number (SIN), it's a plastic card like any other credit card, when applying for a job, ANY job!!! In addition, all the applications for jobs, any jobs, have a very distinct area where you are specifically asked weather you are LEGALLY entitled to work in Canada, yes or no, if yes you MUST fill-out the little box with your SIN, no SIN no job!!! Same for driver licences, no SIN no driver's licence!!!
And I'm Christian and white as well, what a hell religion and color has to do with having PROPER documentations for getting LEGALLY a job or a driver's license in US???

[Lucky225]

SSNs are not required to get a job, the employer just has to solicit it yearly and tell the IRS the employee did not provide one in order to not be fined. SSNs are not a required document for driver licenses either, the ability to drive is all that is needed.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/adminis...ritynumber.htm

Individuals who have applied for and been denied the issuance of a Social Security number due to ineligibility or that have never applied for, been issued or assigned a SSN by the Social Security Administration may complete a Social Security Affidavit (DL-13). The affidavit will be available at the driver license office and must be sworn to before an authorized department employee. Providing a false statement to the department in connection with this affidavit will result in cancellation of the license and may result in criminal charges. The affidavit is not acceptable for the issuance of a commercial driver license. To be eligible for a CDL the person must have an SSN.

As I have not applied for or been issued an SSN in my new married name, all that was required is that I sign the affidavit, and now I have a driver license, kthx. Birth certificate = i'm legally here.

As for religion, I have a religious objection to the SSN and that is why I no longer have one or have applied for one.

www.christinalibery.org for more information.

[Lucky225]

So until a person can get a license without showing a document that proves they're legally here, illegal imigrants can not get driver licenses just b/c they don't show an ssn, b/c they are still required to show visa's that show they're legally here.

[RW'07]

SSNs are not required to get a job, the employer just has to solicit it yearly and tell the IRS the employee did not provide one in order to not be fined. SSNs are not a required document for driver licenses either, the ability to drive is all that is needed.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/adminis...ritynumber.htm

ndividuals who have applied for and been denied the issuance of a Social Security number due to ineligibility or that have never applied for, been issued or assigned a SSN by the Social Security Administration may complete a Social Security Affidavit (DL-13). The affidavit will be available at the driver license office and must be sworn to before an authorized department employee. Providing a false statement to the department in connection with this affidavit will result in cancellation of the license and may result in criminal charges. The affidavit is not acceptable for the issuance of a commercial driver license. To be eligible for a CDL the person must have an SSN.

As I have not applied for or been issued an SSN in my new married name, all that was required is that I sign the affidavit, and now I have a driver license, kthx. Birth certificate = i'm legally here.

As for religion, I have a religious objection to the SSN and that is why I no longer have one or have applied for one.

www.christinalibery.org for more information.

I have no idea about the technicalities regarding obtaining a SSN and/or DL in US, I just enjoy very much travelling down south as a LEGAL Canadian tourist, but up here in Canada SIN is like a 2nd birth certificate (for those born in Canada), you MUST, repeat M-U-S-T, have a SIN in order to get a job, DL, open a bank account, etc., regardless you are born or came here as a LEGAL immigrant and in order to get a SIN you MUST provide lots of LEGAL documents such as immigrant visa with approved permanent resident status, to provide lots of local bills (hydro, phone, cable TV, etc.) that shows that you (so your name and not somebody else you live with) legally reside in a province of Canada... and for those that come here as illegals (mexicans at Windsor/Detroit border crossings lately) but they go to a police stations to ask for the refugee status they are issued SIN cards BUT with a specific number, the first 2 or 3 digits are different than the legal ones so the authorities will always know that you are here on a temporary (semi-legal) status until your file-case is approved or rejected by the government, usually it takes up to 2 years and the Canadian tax-payers pay, like freaking suckers, for each illegal to live here until (87% of them by the official immigration stats) are all deported to their home countries...

[guit123]

only when u get hit by illegal and you pay from your pocket for all expenses u will realise afterall it is not a bad idea for them to have DL and insurance.. afterall they drive anyway with or without insurance.

[RW'07]

only when u get hit by illegal and you pay from your pocket for all expenses u will realise afterall it is not a bad idea for them to have DL and insurance.. afterall they drive anyway with or without insurance.

But right off the bat, you just broke the law of the country you have got into ILLEGALLY, how can you reward somebody who just broke the law by allowing him/her to have the same rights as somebody who tried hard AND waited for years to get here LEGALLY???????????? Unless there is no more distinction btwn legal and illegal and that's called very simply: ANARCHY!!!

Didn't ILLEGALS killed lots of innocent people while driving drunk behind the wheels??? I recall just that sad moment with the girls in Virginia Beach, and that particular illegal had prior convictions but the local authorities didn't bother checking his legal status so he was free to drive and ultimately KILL two innocent and young human beings

[guit123]

they are here and govt wasnt doing **** for 20 years... what do you expect? how come no one said anything when benefitting from cheap labor and suddenly everybody is pissed off NOW on people whom govt never bothered to stop.

i think practically, doesnt matter how many people hate illegals, they are here and nobody is gonna deport 20 million people, so get that fact into the head first... then will i want to pay for an accident involving illegals .. NO i would appreciate if he had some insurance to cover my expenses.

[ELVATO]

only when u get hit by illegal and you pay from your pocket for all expenses u will realise afterall it is not a bad idea for them to have DL and insurance.. afterall they drive anyway with or without insurance.

But right off the bat, you just broke the law of the country you have got into ILLEGALLY, how can you reward somebody who just broke the law by allowing him/her to have the same rights as somebody who tried hard AND waited for years to get here LEGALLY???????????? Unless there is no more distinction btwn legal and illegal and that's called very simply: ANARCHY!!!

Didn't ILLEGALS killed lots of innocent people while driving drunk behind the wheels??? I recall just that sad moment with the girls in Virginia Beach, and that particular illegal had prior convictions but the local authorities didn't bother checking his legal status so he was free to drive and ultimately KILL two innocent and young human beings

I thought you said driving was not a right... Unless we've stopped talking about drivers licenses and driving....