Should Illegal Immigrants Be Licensed to Drive?

Since Sept. 11, 2001, many states are looking for a more effective way to keep terrorists out the country. One of the major issues is whether or not illegal immigrants should be granted driver’s licenses. There are millions of illegal immigrants in this country presently driving without a driver’s license or car insurance and putting many that are legal in this country in harm’s way.

This does not, however, mean that state legislatures should issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants believing that it will make our roads safer. Maybe we should take a moment to define illegal. Merriam Webster defines illegal as unlawful/illicit — not morally right or conventional or not according to or authorized by law. If they broke the law to get here, they will more than likely continue to break our laws by driving without insurance, and obtain other benefits using false names.

As Americans, the driver’s license is actually our universal identification card. Yet many states do not require a valid Social Security number to get a license and many will issue a state ID number for those without a Social Security number, making it easy for illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. As a result, this allows the recipient to obtain additional documents based upon the false premise that he is a U.S. citizen.

The eleven states that now issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. Wake up, America!