As appears in The Atlanta Constitution, Aug. 30, 2001 edition

The battle over states issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens is the first pass at what is fast becoming the most vital question of national interest in the new century. Who we are as a nation and what will become of our republic will be defined in part by our national response to a decade-long uncontrolled surge of illegal immigration.

Georgia appears to be the next in a short but growing list of states eager to identify and approve illegal aliens through the issuance of driver's licenses. State Reps. Mary Squires and Barbara Mobley are promising a bill to do just that, following fast on the heels of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Utah. We are promised "better public safety" because illegal aliens will have to take and pass driver's tests.

But that's absurd. There is absolutely no evidence that a piece of government paper will enhance road safety. The Mothers Against Drunk Driving web site underscores that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanics through age 24, and the second leading cause of death for ages 25-44. This is because most don't understand English road signs and, in some states, illegals don't have to take the driver's test in English.

State laws giving driver's licenses to illegal fly in the face of federal law and the efforts of the beleaguered Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) to control immigration. Let's be clear: Illegal immigrants are people who have chosen not to follow normal INS procedures that would have provided them the necessary documents to obtain a driver's license.

People who are convicted of driving under the influence or who receive too many speeding tickets can lose their driving privileges. Why should illegal aliens receive favored treatment over Georgia drivers who are held accountable for their actions?

Most states, including Georgia, mandate official identity documents as a prerequisite for obtaining a driver's license. States that issue driver's licenses to illegals waive those requirements, a dangerous proposition for several reasons.

First, the state has no way of knowing whether an applicant is a convicted felon, revoked driver, or has stolen the very identity he intends to assume.

Second, driver's licenses are used not only to distinguish legal drivers, but also to establish identity for voting, law enforcement, employment, credit and retail transactions. If the state eliminates the security safeguard of official identity, more than legal driving status will be affected.

In fact, the state will be handing over the "keys to the kingdom" of social and economic interaction -- without the necessary checks to ensure that illegals will play by the rules. They've already demonstrated they won't.

Advocates of driver's licenses for illegal aliens are playing a dangerous game with federal law. In essence, these advocates seek to ignore current immigration law by allowing state governments the discretion to selectively enforce the rules they choose.

Issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens, round one of the national debate in immigration, will encourage the surge of illegals in direct contravention of federal law. Instead of promoting and facilitating illegal immigration, giving a nod and a wink to lawbreaking because of the sheer numbers of people involved, we should be contemplating a responsible national immigration policy.

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