Assemblyman Bill Reilich (R,C,I-Greece) today questioned the motives behind Governor Spitzer’s plan that will allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver licenses without having to provide Social Security numbers as proof of residency.
“The governor’s plan does not reflect the realities of a post 9/11 world,” said Reilich. “We should be making it harder for people entering our country illegally to a obtain driver license, not easier. The September 11th terrorists had legal driver licenses, which gave them access to rental cars, bank accounts and airplane tickets - the tools that helped them perpetrate the worst attack on American soil. This change in DMV policy weakens our national security and puts the lives of New Yorkers in great peril.”
Previously, driver license applicants needed to show a Social Security number to prove their residency status to obtain a license due to an executive order issued by then-Governor George Pataki, following the 9/11 attacks.
In addition to weakening our national security, Assemblyman Reilich remarked that the change in policy is also unfair to legal immigrants who comply with the laws and have to wait years before they become legal citizens.
“The governor’s plan sends the wrong message to people looking to immigrate to America,” added Reilich. “Why should people immigrate legally when the government is willing to give the same rights to illegal immigrants? To me, the governor’s policy change is incomprehensible.”