New Mexico governor loses bid to block licenses for illegals

On Saturday, the newly elected Republican governor lost her attempt to deny driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, when the bill died in the senate. New Mexico is just one of three states, where illegals are allowed to obtain drivers licenses, while the other states bordering Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas — ban the practice.

Governor Susana Martinez a former prosecutor of Mexican-American descent, made a crackdown on illegal immigration a centerpiece of her campaign before her election in November. “I will continue to fight to fulfill the promises I made to New Mexicans,” she said on Saturday after the bill’s defeat. Reuters

So her office is looking at administrative measures targeting the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. About 83,000 foreign nationals, including some legal residents, hold driver’s licenses in the state. Martinez has called the practice of giving licenses to illegal immigrants “dangerous.” The bill to repeal the law that gives licenses to illegals, was approved in the state House of Representatives on March 4 by a vote of 42-28. So tell me, if one is here illegally to begin with, how can they legally have a license?

In the Senate, where Democrats hold a 27 to 15 majority over Republicans, lawmakers indicated they were more interested in toughening up the existing law rather than repealing it. But the senate voted to require foreign nationals to renew their licenses every two years and extended a residency requirement for foreign nationals seeking a license to six from three months, yet that bill failed to be enacted when the House and Senate on Saturday could not agree on the amended bill.

Of course, there were those who cheered the failing of the bill. “This goes to show that you come in with a radical, extremist agenda, you’re going to get push-back because New Mexico is not a radical extremist state,” said Marcela Diaz, head of immigrants rights group Somos un Pueblo Unido.

Reuters

Even law enforcement are against the bill, the excuse is that even more illegals will be driving then without a license. Once you break the law, you aren’t going to follow the rules. And since when do illegals buy insurance anyway? Under current law, license applicants must show proof of identity, such as a passport, birth certificate or license from another state. They also must present two proofs of residency.