House OKs making states verify license applicants’ legal status

WASHINGTON – Hoping to keep driver’s licenses out of the hands of terrorists, the House voted Thursday to make states verify that applicants are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants.

Republicans pushed the measure through on a 261-161 vote despite protests from governors and state motor vehicle departments that it would be too costly and would require them to take on the role of immigration officers. Democratic Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud of Maine voted against the measure.

The bill also would make it easier for judges to deport immigrants seeking political asylum if they think they might be terrorists.

“Common sense says we should not allow suspected terrorists to be able to stay inside our borders if they could harm us,” said House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

The measure was rejected by Congress and the White House in December as part of a bill reorganizing intelligence agencies in response to flaws found after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was revived with newly won support from the Bush administration.

“Today there are over 350 valid driver’s license designs issued by the 50 states. We all know it’s very difficult for security officials at airports to tell the real ID cards from the counterfeit ones,” said the bill’s sponsor, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner.

Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said the new features that states would have to include on driver’s licenses would prevent terrorists from using them as IDs to board planes like the Sept. 11 hijackers did.

Governors, state legislators and motor vehicle departments all have argued that requiring verification of background information such as Social Security numbers and whether a person is in the United States legally would be burdensome.