In a step to further insure homeland security, U.S. lawmakers have introduced two bills in Congress that would prevent illegal aliens from getting driver's licenses and state ID cards.

The Bills
HR 5322 - the Drivers' License Integrity Act, sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Virginia, 7th), would:

• cause driver's licenses and state-issued identification cards issued to nonimmigrant aliens to automatically expire at the end of the alien's lawful stay in the United States
  
  
• require visitors to the U.S. to prove they are here legally before being issued a driver's licenses or state-issued identification card
  
  
• provide U.S. Department of Justice grants and technical assistance to help the states meet the requirements of the Act

"Currently, there are no uniform standards for issuing driver's licenses or official state identification documents to nonimmigrant aliens," said Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-North Carolina, 10th), one of the bill's cosponsors. "Each state has its own policy. In too many cases a person's immigration status is not even an issue in granting a license or ID. Clearly, we must address that shortcoming, as it has direct bearing on our national security."

HR 4043 - the Visa and License Integrity Act, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona, 1st), would:

• prevent agencies of the U.S. federal government from accepting driver's licenses and state-issued identification cards issued by states that do not tie the expiration date of those documents to nonimmigrant aliens' lawful duration of stay.

An estimated 40-percent of the 3 to 6 million illegal aliens who resided in the U.S. last year were admitted under a nonimmigrant visa and stayed in the U.S. after their lawful stay expired,"  Rep. Ballenger noted. "We need laws making it easier to locate and remove people who remain in the United States illegally. The costs associated are minimal. This is an opportunity to place a big dent in a serious problem without simply throwing money at it."

"A driver's license or state identification card is an essential tool, used by illegal aliens to solidify their presence here and to move about freely. This is a clear threat to our safety and economic security," said Ballenger. "These bills offer common sense, cost-effective ways to address this problem without placing additional burdens on U.S. citizens."

Current Status of the Bills
Both bills are currently being considered by the appropriate House committees.

• HR 5322 - the Drivers' License Integrity Act, has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  
  
• HR 4043 - the Visa and License Integrity Act, has been referred to the Committees on Government Reform, House Administration, the Judiciary and the Armed Services.

nonimmigrant alien - a person who enters the U.S. temporarily for a specific purpose. Typical classifications of nonimmigrants include temporary workers and trainees, students, and visitors for business and for pleasure. Most nonimmigrants can also be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children.

Discuss It: "If managing immigration of this country places a hardship on other countries, well, our No. 1 priority has to be our country. Most things have to be managed in scales and balances." TERRYLO  Click to Read/Reply