Clerks in upstate New York counties vowed not to comply with a new state law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses, according to the New York Post.

“In the memo of the bill, they talk about the reason why they’re passing this bill is to make sure that people who are here illegally can get to and from work,” Erie County Clerk Michael Kerns told the Post. “It is illegal to hire people in the state of New York or anywhere that are here illegally. There’s an inconsistency there.”

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Clerks in Rensselaer, Niagara and Allegany counties also vowed to defy the law, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed Monday, according to the tabloid.

The bill, which passed the state Senate last week, made New York the 13th state to allow undocumented people to apply for licenses. Cuomo signed it despite expressing concerns that the information collected for applications could be exploited by immigration authorities.

“The key to this bill is not the political intent but the legal effect. We hope the Attorney General's assessment is correct for the safety of the thousands of undocumented individuals who are relying on her legal opinion,” Cuomo’s council Alphonso David said in a statement Monday.

"The law is well crafted and contains ample protections for those who apply for driver’s licenses," Attorney General Leticia James (D) said in a statement to The Hill. "As the state’s attorney and chief law enforcement officer, my office will vigorously defend it.”

When a similar measure came up in the state legislature in 2007, when Cuomo was attorney general, current Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), then Erie County Clerk, opposed the measure.

However, in an editorial for the Times Union at the end of May, Hochul wrote she supported the measure that Cuomo signed, saying that her initial concerns, that undocumented people could use licenses to board airplanes or enter secure government facilities, had been assuaged by the introduction of the Real ID system.

In states with similar laws, Hochul wrote, "roads are safer, hit-and-runs are down, the number of uninsured drivers dropped dramatically, insurance premiums got cheaper, and immigrant communities contributed greatly to the economy."

"My opinion, like those of many others, has evolved, based on the fact that driver's licenses for New York will make us a safer state for all New Yorkers," she added.