Letting down our guard with drivers' licenses
Guest columnist
By Congressman John 'Randy' Kuhl

As soon as Gov. Spitzer announced his new immigration proposal, I immediately voiced my opposition. Well, apparently I am not alone in my reluctance to give those who entered this country illegally a driver's licenses and the free range to drive wherever they wish. According to the latest Zogby poll taken among voters across New York, 58% disagree with the Governor, while just 35% agree with him. And in upstate New York, 64% oppose it and 25% favor it.

This policy is ludicrous. By undermining the preventive measures that protect our country from national security threats, the Governor is putting New Yorkers at risk and this should not be tolerated. Why is New York State granting privileges to those who have entered this country illegally at the cost of law abiding citizens?

The consequences of this policy will have far-reaching effects on New Yorkers. A driver's license has become the national ID card and is the most accepted form of identification in the U.S. From boarding an airplane to buying your groceries, your driver's licenses serves as proof that you are a citizen of the U.S. and resident of your state. And now, according to New York City's Corporation Counsel, Spitzer's new policy means that U.S. citizens who are residents of New York State would have to show a valid passport just to board a commercial domestic flight.

But don't put that passport away yet-- you may also need your passport when you are voting in any New York election. Presently, when a citizen receives a driver's license, they also receive voter registration materials. Considering that illegal aliens do not have a legal right to vote, providing them with these materials and giving them a form of identification that is currently used to prove identity at polling places could lead to illegally registered voters. You can probably imagine the chaos and subsequent recounts forced on every New York State election.

These are just a few of the many problems that New Yorkers will have to deal with when illegal immigrates receive their driver's license. We need a stronger, more cohesive process to issue identification. The 9/11 Commission noted that, "at many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists." Issuing state driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is dangerous and causes significantly more damage than good.

We need more aggressive immigration legislation in the United States. We need real legislation that strengthens our borders, and does not diminish our national security by granting more privileges to those who have entered this country illegally.

The writer serves as Congressman for the 29th District.