Advocates question Spitzer's immigrant license plan

Long Island immigrant rights advocates and illegal immigrants expressed skepticism about Gov. Eliot Spitzer's revised driver's license plan Monday. Spitzer joined U.S. Department of Homeland Security

News 12 Staff

Oct 29, 2007, 9:36 PM

Updated 6,253 days ago

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Long Island immigrant rights advocates and illegal immigrants expressed skepticism about Gov. Eliot Spitzer's revised driver's license plan Monday.
Spitzer joined U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in announcing the governor's new directive. Under the plan, New York state would issue three types of licenses. One would be a traditional driver's license. An enhanced license would have additional features that would make it as secure as a passport, and could be used in place of a passport in crossing New York's border with Canada.
The third, and most controversial, license would be available to illegal immigrants without a Social Security number. It would specifically state on the license that it is not proof of U.S. citizenship.
Immigration attorney Melinda Rubin said therein lies the problem.
"People are going to be afraid to sign up because it's almost going to be a mark," Rubin said. "I think they're going to think that they're going to be put into some special database that the U.S. government is going to be able to draw from and go after them based on that information there."
"Juan," an illegal immigrant who has been in the states for 15 years, said he wouldn't sign up for the program even if it's implemented. He doesn't trust the government enough, he said.
"If the cops stop me, they'd take me right away," said "Juan." "They'd say, 'You're not legal in this country.'"