Why Driver Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants Is a Bad Idea

Last year, tax-happy Sal Panto got his rubber stamps on Easton City Council to go along with a resolution calling for drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants. he never bothered to consult with law enforcement,  Had he bothered to call, Northampton County DA John Morganelli would have warned Panto that his proposal is "misguided and dangerous," and would make Easton a magnet for foreign criminals.

So what happens in states that allow undocumented immigrants to seek driver licenses?

Fraud, according to a study by the Federation of Immigration Reform.

Vermont - illegal aliens in new York were paying $2,000 to have someone take the test.

New Mexico - as much as 75% of the applications are bogus. Criminal charges were brought against a group from New York in 2011. They ran  ads in New York, limited to Chinatown newspapers, offering New Mexico driver license. Chinese immigrants from New York paid $1,500 for New Mexico licenses.

Tennessee - had to repeal a law that granted license to undocumented aliens because of excess fraudulent residence documents.

California - 64% of 46,200 undocumented immigrants failed when they took the test.

Should We Give Driver's Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants?

Easton City Council thinks so, and adopted a resolution last week calling on state legislators to ease the current law. It did so in reaction to a group calling itself Fight For Drivers License. On their website, theu offer this justification: "We believe that driving represents not just access to the use of a car, but the right to use the roads in peace, get to our jobs, and bring food to our families' tables. It represents our ability to live with dignity." But one person is setting up a roadblock - Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. He has called for a news conference today so that he can expound on his reservations.

On Saturday, he shared his feelings on Facebook. "Last night, although well intentioned, a misguided and uninformed Easton City Council passed a resolution to allow illegal aliens to obtain valid Pennsylvania drivers licenses. These are people who intentionally entered the US illegally with no respect for our immigration laws and without permission from our government. Council should have asked for input from those of us in law enforcement who know that the terrorists who blew up the World Trade Center and killed thousands of Americans all used fraudulent drivers licenses to pass money, get on planes and give themselves cover from their criminal activities. States that in the past handed out drivers licenses to people illegally in the US saw an influx of thousands of foreign criminals to their states and many are now moving to repeal them like New Mexico. This is bad public policy and makes it easier for illegal foreign criminals to do us harm under the cover of a valid state issued drivers license."