New Mexico: GOP lawmakers want to ax licenses for immigrants

Two Republican lawmakers want to roll back New Mexico's law that allows undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses, claiming it's too inviting to terrorists. They propose the state instead issue "certificates for driving" that would permit illegal immigrants to be on the roads but wouldn't constitute valid identification. The legislation introduced this week by Reps. Greg Payne of Albuquerque and Keith Gardner of Roswell creates a system similar to one enacted in Tennessee for illegal immigrants and temporary visitors. Tennessee's program was challenged in federal court by a Hispanic advocacy group as discriminatory, but a judge last year refused to halt it. As of two years ago, New Mexico allows illegal immigrants _ who can't get Social Security numbers _ to obtain driver's licenses by providing Internal Revenue Service-issued individual tax identification numbers. Nearly 19,900 such licenses have been issued, Taxation and Revenue Secretary Jan Goodwin said Friday. "We've just been very happy with the success of our program," Goodwin said. The administration of Gov. Bill Richardson, who signed the 2003 law, says it has reduced the rate of uninsured drivers. [more]