Thanks to GOP, Spitzer’s License Plan Got Steamrolled

by Bob Capano, Brooklyn YRs

I am not quite sure what part of “illegal” Governor Spitzer and other advocates for giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants do not understand.

Under Governor Spitzer’s original announced plan for New York, which unfortunately is a reality in some states, one would have been able to apply for a driver’s license without having to prove their legal status. Those applying for licenses in New York State would no longer have been required to provide Social Security numbers and instead, would have allowed applicants to provide foreign passports or other forms of ID.

Therefore, illegal immigrants would have been eligible for the same license as legal immigrants and citizens under this plan.

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club began an on-line petition drive to stop this controversial Spitzer plan (go to www.brooklynyr.com for more information on the Club).

Indeed, nearly 400 individuals from Brooklyn and beyond signed this petition, including residents from throughout New York State, as well as from Wisconsin, Georgia, Nebraska, and Florida. This demonstrated the wide-spread disagreement with this plan, including by many Democrats like former NYC Mayor Ed Koch. The Brooklyn YR Club was proud to be a part of the large grass-roots effort that ultimately forced Spitzer to recently withdraw this plan.

In addition to all of the other potential security threats posed by this policy, including the fact that terrorists could have potentially obtained this new watered down driver’s license to allow them to operate more freely here, this plan could have forced us all to get passports to fly within the United States. This is because our licenses under Spitzer’s plan may not have met federal security requirements (REAL ID Act) and therefore, they would have been de-valued as proof of our identity and status in the United States. It is still unclear why our Governor proposed such a plan that would have burdened legal, law-abiding New York residents with additional costs and inconvenience by forcing us to get a passport in order to allow illegal immigrants to have a driver’s license.

Then, Governor Spitzer announced a new version of his original ill-conceived plan. He wanted to create a three-tier licensing system. Two of these licenses would have been available only to citizens and legal aliens and would have met the new federal security requirements. However, there still would have been a license available to illegal immigrants, which would still have raised the security threat mentioned above relating to terrorists potentially being able to obtain one. Once again, it is unclear why our Governor proposed creating any type of identification for people who are here illegally. Indeed, we should not be overlooking, bypassing, excusing or forgetting the fact that people are here illegally, and this is precisely what we are doing when any state provides them with a privilege like a driver’s license.

Some argue that Republicans and those who are opposed to giving illegal immigrants driver’s licenses are anti-immigrant. Nothing could be further from the truth. We support legal immigration and those who follow the law to become part of our great country. Think about it- how can we as a society look those in the eye who waited many years to become a part of our country legally, while we excuse and reward those who came here illegally by providing them with a driver’s license. I cannot support such unfairness, and I do not understand how Governor Spitzer and supporters of this type of plan can.

Although Governor Spitzer did withdraw his plan, there are still states that currently allow illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses.

There are also those, including many Democrats running for President, who support this idea or can’t articulate where they stand. Thankfully, in New York, we were able to stop this plan; however, one state in our country allowing policies that threatens our security is one too many.

This is why I am pleased that two New York Members of Congress, Vito Fossella and Peter King, are taking the lead in Washington, D.C. to deter and prohibit states from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

Bob Capano is the President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club.