Leroy N. Soetoro
2012-10-17 19:39:07 UTC
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/15/new-mexicos-granting-licenses-to-
illegals-to-backfire-in-2013-warns-governor/
New Mexico's policy of giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses could
soon come back to bite the state's law-abiding residents when stringent
new federal requirements for IDs take effect in January, the governor is
warning.
With a key provision of the federal Real ID Act set to kick in on Jan. 15,
Gov. Susana Martinez claims there will be no way to differentiate between
state IDs issued to residents who furnish federally-required documentation
and those issued to illegal immigrants based on less stringent
requirements.
Martinez is predicting the federal government will have no choice come
Jan. 15, 2013, but to no longer recognize her state's licenses as valid
identification at airport ticket counters or for entry into federal
buildings or complexes such as the state's large Kirtland and Holloman Air
Force.
Its deeply concerning that New Mexicans who work at our labs, get on an
airplane, or need to show identification at any other federal facility
will no longer be able to use their drivers license to do so, Martinez
said after sending an Oct. 10 letter of inquiry about the act to
Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano. This is not
just an inconvenience; it is an incredible burden on our citizens and our
businesses, and on our ability to be competitive with our neighboring
states.
The Real ID Act was passed in 2005, to ensure authenticity of documents
used to acquire a state-issued driver's license or identification card,
but much of its thrust has been delayed. More than 15 states have actually
passed legislation to refuse compliance with the act.
New Mexico and Washington are the only states which currently issue
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and in New Mexico, a utility bill
and any form of identification -- such as the Matricula Consular card,
which is issued to Mexican nationals by their consulates -- is still all
that is currently required.
Under the Real ID Act, the federal government requires proof of
citizenship for a driver's license and may not recognize other state IDs
unless they are supported by such documents as a birth certificate, Social
Security number or passport. States that did comply with the criteria for
the Real ID Act have extended deadlines, but New Mexico did not file the
required information for an extension. A DHS spokesperson said the act
will be enforced.
"DHS has every intention of maintaining the January 15, 2013, deadline,"
said Marsha Catron, DHS spokesperson. "This applies to the state meeting
requirements, not an individual."
According to the DHS, if a state completes a checklist which brings them
into compliance with the Real ID Act, they will grant an extension for
drivers licenses until Dec.1, 2014, for those born after Dec.1, 1964, and
Dec.1, 2017, for those born before Dec. 1, 1964.
Greg Blair, spokesman for Martinez, says if the Jan. 15 deadline comes
without any sort of extension, the most obvious implications on New
Mexicans are how they are able to use their drivers licenses.
TSA security screeners will no longer accept a New Mexico drivers
license as valid ID to board a plane. Individuals who have to present ID
to enter a federal building such as Los Alamos National Lab or Sandia
National Lab, which employ thousands of New Mexicans will no longer be
able to use their New Mexico drivers license, Blair said. The
implications are far-reaching, costly and certainly inconvenient.
In 2003, then-Gov. Bill Richardson, pushed through the law approving the
issuance of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in an attempt to
decrease the number of uninsured drivers in the state. After nearly 10
years, there is little evidence the measure achieved the goal, say
critics.
While New Mexican officials staunchly defend the validity and reliability
of the documents used to obtain the card, Martinez said it opens a door
for the possibility of fraud. An estimated 49,000 undocumented immigrants
live in New Mexico, and since the law went into effect, some 80,000
licenses have been issued to foreign nationals, many of whom are not from
the state.
In June, 30 people were indicted in an alleged illegal driver's license
ring where illegal immigrants from South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee
came to New Mexico to get driver's licenses using fraudulent utility
bills.
New Mexico state Sen. Tim Jennings (D), a staunch supporter of
Richardsons law, says he will to take a wait-and-see approach to find out
if the DHS will actually enforce the act.
Theyve postponed the Real ID Act in the past, Jennings said. A lot of
this comes about because the federal government fails to come up with
coherent immigration reform then pushes it back on the states to decide
what to do.
He stands behind the premise of the law, which encouraged an increase in
insured drivers in the state.
Jennings says he will not discount repealing the states law, but with the
caveat Gov. Martinez and the federal government put into place a more
reasonable policy.
Ironically, the next New Mexico legislative session begins at noon on Jan.
15.
Gov. Martinez will work with legislators to repeal the dangerous and
misguided law that gives drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, Blair
said.
Joseph J. Kolb is a freelance journalist in New Mexico
--
Obama's black racist USAG appointee.
Eric Holder, racist black United States Attorney General drops voter
intimidation charges against the Black Panthers, "You are about to be
ruled by the black man, cracker!"
Eric Holder, prejudiced black United States Attorney General settles the
hate crime debate, "Whites Not Protected by Hate Crime Laws."
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat criminal, accessory before and after the fact, to
former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel of New
York's million dollar tax evasion.
Barack Obama and Eric Holder, committed treason by knowingly and
deliberately arming enemies of the United States of America through
Operation Fast and Furious. Complicit in the murder of Federal employees
during the execution of their duties.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ***@netfront.net ---
illegals-to-backfire-in-2013-warns-governor/
New Mexico's policy of giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses could
soon come back to bite the state's law-abiding residents when stringent
new federal requirements for IDs take effect in January, the governor is
warning.
With a key provision of the federal Real ID Act set to kick in on Jan. 15,
Gov. Susana Martinez claims there will be no way to differentiate between
state IDs issued to residents who furnish federally-required documentation
and those issued to illegal immigrants based on less stringent
requirements.
Martinez is predicting the federal government will have no choice come
Jan. 15, 2013, but to no longer recognize her state's licenses as valid
identification at airport ticket counters or for entry into federal
buildings or complexes such as the state's large Kirtland and Holloman Air
Force.
Its deeply concerning that New Mexicans who work at our labs, get on an
airplane, or need to show identification at any other federal facility
will no longer be able to use their drivers license to do so, Martinez
said after sending an Oct. 10 letter of inquiry about the act to
Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano. This is not
just an inconvenience; it is an incredible burden on our citizens and our
businesses, and on our ability to be competitive with our neighboring
states.
The Real ID Act was passed in 2005, to ensure authenticity of documents
used to acquire a state-issued driver's license or identification card,
but much of its thrust has been delayed. More than 15 states have actually
passed legislation to refuse compliance with the act.
New Mexico and Washington are the only states which currently issue
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and in New Mexico, a utility bill
and any form of identification -- such as the Matricula Consular card,
which is issued to Mexican nationals by their consulates -- is still all
that is currently required.
Under the Real ID Act, the federal government requires proof of
citizenship for a driver's license and may not recognize other state IDs
unless they are supported by such documents as a birth certificate, Social
Security number or passport. States that did comply with the criteria for
the Real ID Act have extended deadlines, but New Mexico did not file the
required information for an extension. A DHS spokesperson said the act
will be enforced.
"DHS has every intention of maintaining the January 15, 2013, deadline,"
said Marsha Catron, DHS spokesperson. "This applies to the state meeting
requirements, not an individual."
According to the DHS, if a state completes a checklist which brings them
into compliance with the Real ID Act, they will grant an extension for
drivers licenses until Dec.1, 2014, for those born after Dec.1, 1964, and
Dec.1, 2017, for those born before Dec. 1, 1964.
Greg Blair, spokesman for Martinez, says if the Jan. 15 deadline comes
without any sort of extension, the most obvious implications on New
Mexicans are how they are able to use their drivers licenses.
TSA security screeners will no longer accept a New Mexico drivers
license as valid ID to board a plane. Individuals who have to present ID
to enter a federal building such as Los Alamos National Lab or Sandia
National Lab, which employ thousands of New Mexicans will no longer be
able to use their New Mexico drivers license, Blair said. The
implications are far-reaching, costly and certainly inconvenient.
In 2003, then-Gov. Bill Richardson, pushed through the law approving the
issuance of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in an attempt to
decrease the number of uninsured drivers in the state. After nearly 10
years, there is little evidence the measure achieved the goal, say
critics.
While New Mexican officials staunchly defend the validity and reliability
of the documents used to obtain the card, Martinez said it opens a door
for the possibility of fraud. An estimated 49,000 undocumented immigrants
live in New Mexico, and since the law went into effect, some 80,000
licenses have been issued to foreign nationals, many of whom are not from
the state.
In June, 30 people were indicted in an alleged illegal driver's license
ring where illegal immigrants from South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee
came to New Mexico to get driver's licenses using fraudulent utility
bills.
New Mexico state Sen. Tim Jennings (D), a staunch supporter of
Richardsons law, says he will to take a wait-and-see approach to find out
if the DHS will actually enforce the act.
Theyve postponed the Real ID Act in the past, Jennings said. A lot of
this comes about because the federal government fails to come up with
coherent immigration reform then pushes it back on the states to decide
what to do.
He stands behind the premise of the law, which encouraged an increase in
insured drivers in the state.
Jennings says he will not discount repealing the states law, but with the
caveat Gov. Martinez and the federal government put into place a more
reasonable policy.
Ironically, the next New Mexico legislative session begins at noon on Jan.
15.
Gov. Martinez will work with legislators to repeal the dangerous and
misguided law that gives drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, Blair
said.
Joseph J. Kolb is a freelance journalist in New Mexico
--
Obama's black racist USAG appointee.
Eric Holder, racist black United States Attorney General drops voter
intimidation charges against the Black Panthers, "You are about to be
ruled by the black man, cracker!"
Eric Holder, prejudiced black United States Attorney General settles the
hate crime debate, "Whites Not Protected by Hate Crime Laws."
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat criminal, accessory before and after the fact, to
former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel of New
York's million dollar tax evasion.
Barack Obama and Eric Holder, committed treason by knowingly and
deliberately arming enemies of the United States of America through
Operation Fast and Furious. Complicit in the murder of Federal employees
during the execution of their duties.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ***@netfront.net ---