New Mexico's Republican governor, Susana Martinez, wants the state to ban illegal immigrants from getting driver’s licenses and plans to bring the issue before a special session of the legislature,
The Wall Street Journal reports.
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| Susana Martinez |
Democratic lawmakers have already defeated one bill this year that would have denied New Mexico driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Martinez said her state has become “a magnet” for illegal immigrants “who want to receive a valid United States ID and travel freely around the country.”
Authorities say illegal immigrants living in other states pay forgers as much as $6,000 a pop for documents that declare them to be residents of New Mexico so they can apply for driver’s licenses there.
New Mexico doesn’t know what percentage of the 25,000 state driver’s licenses issued to foreign nationals last year went to illegal immigrants.
But state and federal authorities report arresting more foreign nationals of late on suspicion of ferrying illegal immigrants to New Mexico to obtain licenses.
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