ALBANY – Following intense pressure, Gov. Spitzer is preparing to backpedal on his plan to issue state driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants as he nears an agreement with Homeland Security in which undocumented aliens can obtain licenses as long as the cards are not recognized by the federal government, The Post has learned.
Under the expected deal, which could be announced as soon as today, the state will opt into the federal REAL ID program by agreeing to create the type of dual licensing system Spitzer had originally shot down, sources said yesterday.
Under the plan, illegal aliens would still be able to obtain driver’s licenses from the state, as Spitzer has pushed for all along.
But such licenses eventually would contain wording that they are not federally recognized, meaning they cannot be used by individuals as acceptable identification to board planes or enter federal facilities such as courthouses, the sources said.
The licenses, which would be available to illegal aliens and citizens alike, would not contain information about a person’s legal status – something the Spitzer administration felt was important to avoid them becoming a “scarlet letter,” a source said.
A tougher, federally recognized license, requiring applicants to provide Social Security numbers or letters showing they are in the country legally but not eligible for such numbers, would be available only to U.S. citizens and legal aliens.
Those licenses, which would contain special computer chips with personal identifying information, could be used not only to enter federal facilities and board planes, but also to cross the border, federal officials said.
It’s unclear just how soon the dual system will be up and running because the state has to put the necessary technology in place and design the two different licenses, the officials said.
It’s also unclear what will happen if the Spitzer administration moves forward with its plan to offer licenses to illegal immigrants beginning in December, though some insiders expect for the time being they would be given the same licenses as everyone else.
Laura Keehner, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, last night confirmed that her agency and the Spitzer administration have been in serious talks.
She said her agency believes a deal with the parameters detailed by The Post is close, but the final decision rests with the Spitzer administration.
“We will make any sort of announcement once things are finalized,” Keehner said.
Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson denied via e-mail that the governor was planning to scrap or delay the implementation of his plan to license illegal aliens. But she did not respond when asked if the state is readying to opt into the federal REAL ID system.
The REAL ID program was passed by Congress in the wake of 9/11 in an effort to create a national ID card.
Under the REAL ID act, states have until 2009 to opt into the system. The Spitzer administration says that system won’t be fully in place by 2013.
The deal comes as state Republicans, some Democrats and 20 county clerks said they would not allow the issuance of licenses to illegal aliens.
As the furor over his plan to provide licenses to illegal aliens grew over the past five weeks, Spitzer and his aides had raised the possibility of dual licensing, but said they wouldn’t even consider it until after the federal government released the formal regulations for the program.