Driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants face legislative challenges

Are you an "undocumented" immigrant and need a driver's license? Go ahead and get one. Governor Eliot Spitzer wants to give you a license to drive in the State of New York, even if you are "undocumented". You do not have a social security number, you say. Worry no more, you do not need one. Lucky you.
The term ‘undocumented immigrant' is a politically correct euphemism for illegal immigrant.
There are some 12 to 20 million illegals in the United States including up to a million in New York State alone, according to published reports. Are there "illegals" from India in this country? No, right? Aren't we all law abiding and ethical individuals? You may be right, but I suspect there are a few.
I base my suspicions on a conversation that I had with a young man in Mumbai some thirty years ago. He was a friend of one of my nephews.
This man was unable to get a visa form the American consulate despite several tries. He wanted to know whether it was appropriate for him to follow the footsteps of one of his friends, who had gone to Canada first and then had crossed over into the States. By this man's account at least one Indian (his friend) had entered the States illegally.
I told him I personally wouldn't do it. I was not the person who could advise him in this matter because being a public servant I could never encourage an illegal act, I explained. Therefore, he should seek advice elsewhere was my recommendation. I also suggested he consider entering a college here for higher studies.
Should our government reward people who have already broken this nation's law by entering it illegally? But they are here now and many of them are driving already without a license and driver's insurance, says the governor.
This is what department of motor vehicle, or DMV, commissioner said in a press release: "Currently, too many drivers are unlicensed simply because they do not have a social security number." The state does not want to "bury our heads in the sand and pretend problem does not exist."
According to the New York Sun, a social security number was not required in this state to obtain a driver's license until 2002. All this changed a few months after the 9/11/2001 attack on the World Trade Towers, apparently to prevent future terrorists from getting driver's licenses.
But the current governor obviously does not agree with his predecessor (Gov. George Pataki).
He thinks the homeland's security would in fact be enhanced. He says currently, the DMV has no information in its database for unlicensed drivers.
As a result law enforcement officials have a tough time in conducting investigations when an unlicensed driver gets involved in a criminal act.
Bringing unlicensed drivers into the system, therefore, should help law enforcement agencies "to locate those who present a real security threat."
How? Because all applicants for a license must still prove their identity, place of birth and fitness to drive. A valid foreign passport (even without a valid visa) or a birth certificate should be enough.
Here is what the opponent's of the governor's plan have said publicly:
• Certain countries are known to harbor ter rorists, like Saudi Arabia, Iran etc. If passports of those countries are accepted, the state could end up issuing licenses to terrorists.
• Currently U.S. citizens have to show only a driver's license to board an airplane. If illegals can get the same license, U.S. citizens may have to show some other kind of photo identification.
Two ID's for citizens would make them second class citizens in their own country in the opinion of former U. S. Senator Al D'Amato.
• "If the governor should do this, he should receive an MVP award from Al Qaeda," one state legislator asserted.
• "I have some problems with it, however, it's a governor's call," Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
• "Today the State DMV is asking my office to help illegal immigrants break the law," said one county clerk, and another said, "What we are doing is opening the doors and making it easier for illegal immigrants, terrorists or whatever to come here and be able to perpetrate whatever they want," according to www.whec.com. Most upstate counties issue driver's licenses because the DMV does not have offices in those counties.
• This State's Republican legislators are also against the new plan for security reasons.
But supporters of the governor's plan remind us that none of the 9/11 terrorists had entered here illegally; all had valid visas. Hence, they were eligible to receive valid driver's licenses. In fact, Mohamed Atta did acquire a license in Florida after he was arrested for driving without a license, according to blogdenovo.org.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, on the other hand, supports the governor. He believes that to deny an otherwise law-abiding individual to drive to work or take children to school or to the doctor "is to admit that terrorism has won."
Concerns about licenses to terrorists are unfounded in the opinion of the plan's supporters because the DMV is developing a state-ofthe-art document verification system to prevent counterfeiting and fraud. By the way, you still will not be able to get a license to drive commercial (including taxis) or hazardous materials vehicles without a social security number.
The DMV claims the plan will reduce uninsured drivers on the road because licensing requires auto insurance. This should lower insurance premiums for all of us and make the streets safer. Opponents counter, every license holder does not necessarily have to own a vehicle that would require auto insurance. Further, not every individual is able to get insurance. What happens when federal immigration authorities subpoena the DMV's records to hunt for illegals? Does the government have resources to catch millions of illegals? Where are they going to be housed till their deportation cases wind through the country's cumbersome and complex court system? However, a person involved in an egregious crime might have something to worry about. At present political mud wrestling appears unavoidable. Even Lou Dobbs, the CNN anchor, has begun to castigate the governor's proposal. Legislative and legal challenges can't be far behind. So stay tuned.
(The writer served the city for 32 years in the departments of environmental protection, sanitation, and, parks, recreation and cultural affairs, in positions ranging from junior engineer to deputy commissioner)
Published in DESI TALK by Mohan Jetwani