SANTA FE, NM (By Zelie Pollon, Reuters) March 17, 2011 New
Mexico's newly elected Republican governor lost her attempt
to deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants on
Saturday, when the bill died in the state Senate.
New Mexico is one of only three states to allow undocumented
immigrants to receive driver's licenses.
The other states bordering Mexico Arizona, California and
Texas ban the practice.
Governor
Susana
Martinez, a
former
prosecutor
of
Mexican-American
descent,
made a
crackdown on
undocumented
immigration
a
centerpiece
of her
campaign
before her
election in
November.
"I will continue to fight to fulfill the promises I made to
New Mexicans," she said on Saturday after the bill's defeat.
She added her office was looking into administrative
measures targeting the issuance of driver's licenses to
undocumented immigrants.
About 83,000 foreign nationals, including some legal
residents, hold driver's licenses in the state. Martinez has
called the practice of giving licenses to undocumented
immigrants "dangerous."
The bill to repeal the state's law giving licenses to
undocumented immigrants was approved in the state House of
Representatives on March 4 by a vote of 42-28.
In the Senate, where Democrats hold a 27 to 15 majority over
Republicans, lawmakers indicated they were more interested
in toughening up the existing law rather than repealing it.
The Senate voted to require foreign nationals to renew their
licenses every two years and extended a residency
requirement for foreign nationals seeking a license to six
from three months.
But those measures failed to be enacted when the House and
Senate on Saturday could not agree on the amended bill.
Advocates for immigrants groups cheered the result.
"This goes to show you come in with a radical, extremist
agenda, you're going to get push-back because New Mexico is
not a radical extremist state," said Marcela Diaz, head of
immigrants rights group Somos un Pueblo Unido.
Some law enforcement officials also opposed the repeal,
arguing it would lead to tens of thousands of motorists
driving without licenses or insurance.
Under current law, license applicants must show proof of
identity, such as a passport, birth certificate or license
from another state. They also must present two proofs of
residency.
The governor had poured leftover campaign funds into radio
advertisements to press the issue.
