NY Governor Drops Immigrant License Plan

11/14/2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he was abandoning a plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, but said that the federal government had "lost control" of its borders and left states to deal with the consequences.

"I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own," Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting with members of the state's congressional delegation.

The Democratic governor introduced the plan two months ago with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged the scheme would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe.

Spitzer said overwhelming public opposition led to his decision.

"You don't need a stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of the public on this one," said the governor, adding: "There are some moments where emotions are simply too hot."

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called Spitzer's reversal on the license issue "a good development" and said immigration is a federal issue for which his department has to "ramp up enforcement."

"What I want to make sure is that states aren't working at cross-purposes with us and enabling the kind of conduct we're enforcing against," Chertoff told The Associated Press by phone from London.

Last month, Spitzer sought to salvage the license effort by striking a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to create three distinct types of state driver's licenses: one "enhanced" card that would be as secure as a passport; a second-tier license good for boarding airplanes; and a third marked not valid for federal purposes that would be available to illegal immigrants and others.

The signed agreement with Washington may still be salvaged: Aides to Spitzer said Wednesday he planned to go forward with the border-crossing card. The state took a wait-and-see approach to the second-tier license that would meet federal standards for what is known as Real ID - a national and secure identification that would make it much harder for terrorists to get licenses.

Chertoff said the signed agreement between his agency and the state would "absolutely" still go forward for the other two types of licenses.

The license issue has reverberated in the presidential campaign, particularly for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was asked about Spitzer's plan during a debate.

Clinton has been criticized by her Democratic and Republican rivals for her noncommittal answers on the subject. She has said she sympathizes with governors like Spitzer who are forced to confront the issue of immigration because the federal government has not enacted immigration reform. She has not taken a position on the actual plan offered by Spitzer.

About 70 percent of New Yorkers opposed the plan, according to a Siena College poll of 625 registered voters released Tuesday. The poll, conducted Nov. 5-8, had a sampling error margin of 3.9 percentage points.

After meeting privately with the governor, New York Democrats who agreed with him said they understood he had to retreat - but insisted the need for immigration reform would only grow.

"This governor was not defeated by anything other than the hate in this country toward immigrants right now," said Rep. Jose Serrano, a Bronx Democrat.

Others saw it as further proof the political paralysis over immigration issues has spread from the federal to state governments.

"This is an issue that's vexed Washington for a while. Now it's spread it's plague to Albany and I think the governor learned the lesson that immigration has become the new third rail of politics," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York City Democrat.