NY gives illegals a license to drive

Washington Times:

New York's governor announced yesterday that illegal aliens will soon be able to get state driver's licenses, drawing a strong rebuke from families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks who said he is opening a window to another attack.

The new rules reverse a 2002 policy designed to correct one of the flaws identified after the terrorist attacks — easy access to driver's licenses, which allowed illegal aliens to blend into society and would-be terrorists to avoid detection. But Gov. Eliot Spitzer said he thinks the state can have both secure driver's licenses and a system that draws illegal aliens into the system rather than punishing them.

The governor expects the plan to reduce insurance costs, and he said the reality is that illegal aliens are already here and that "allowing them the opportunity to obtain driver's licenses in a responsible and secure manner will help increase public safety."

But the rules infuriated those looking for a crackdown on illegal immigration, including relatives of victims of the 2001 attack.

"Obviously one 9/11 isn't enough for Spitzer," said Peter Gadiel, whose son died in the attack and who is president of the 9/11 Families for a Secure America. "People are going to die."

...

If Spitzer is going to do this the license numbers should begin with the letter "i" so that those who have them can be identified as in the country illegally. All the information on the "i" licenses should then be provided to ICE for appropriate action.

For a guy who made a name for himself insisting on the rule of law, Spitzer seems pretty cavalier when it comes to immigration laws.