Government contractors brace for Real ID (NM-Legacy of illegals issued driver's licenses)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | November 9, 2015 | Kevin Robinson-Avila

[CedarDave]

Robert Rubin, president and CEO of Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, says the federal government's decision to clamp down on the use of New Mexico driver's licenses to access federal facilities starting in January could potentially shut down his 600-employee business.

He's not alone.

"This could just be a disaster for a company like mine," said Bill Miera, president and CEO of the 143-employee engineering firm Fiore, which manages research and development contracts with Sandia National Laboratories and with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. "If we couldn't get on base, we'd have to stop work, because we need access to the high-tech facilities there."

New Mexico's current law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses means the state is out of compliance with the Real ID Act, which was passed in response to 9/11.

In October, the federal government declined to give New Mexico another extension on meeting its requirements. That means only employees with valid U.S. passports or other federal identification would have access to Rubin's business.

Since most of Rubin's employees currently use driver's licenses to access Kirtland, they may be forced to get passports to continue doing so after Jan. 10, when licenses would no longer be accepted.

... workers employed at independent facilities, such as Kirtland Elementary School, as well as employees for all private contractors servicing Kirtland or Sandia could be affected, said Sherman McCorkle, vice chair of the Kirtland Partnership Committee.

[CedarDave]

Bill Richardson's legacy continues to impact business in New Mexico. The current Democratic NM Senate leader still vows he will not support repealing the law that permits illegals to get driver's licenses, which is something Governor Martinez has been advocating since she was elected in 2010. But it will get worse for ordinary New Mexicans - coming later in 2016 is a total prohibition on use of NM driver's licenses as a picture ID for use in airline travel. For many decades, New Mexico has been treated as if it was a foreign country by those who are geographically challenged. As a result of Richardson, that may well be coming true!

[Buckeye McFrog]

Obama has a pen. Sign a waiver. Problem solved.

[CedarDave]

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[CedarDave]

Obama has a pen. Sign a waiver. Problem solved.

To keep the illegals and Dems happy, he probably will.
Sigh...

[NorthMountain]

Obama has a pen. Sign a waiver. Problem solved.

Why? If New Mexico can't get its act together and quit issuing driver licenses to criminal invaders, that's not my problem. The employees have had plenty of time to get Passport Cards. The employers have had plenty of time to help them with it.

[Dilbert San Diego]

The real ID act is not effective in my opinion. There are a number of states which give drivers licenses to illegal aliens. The real ID act was supposed to tighten up rewuirements for getting a state issued ID or drivers license. Since some states give ID to illegals their actions defeat the whole purpose of the law.

And I do wonder about this as a response to Set 11th. Would this law have prevented 9/11? No because Mohammed Atta and the boys used their foreign issued passports as their ID at that time. I question the need for and results of Tue real.ID act.

[CedarDave]

Didn’t California just recently start issuing driver’s licenses to illegals. Isn’t that going to be a problem there also?

[Dilbert San Diego]

Yes Calif. Is among the states giving drivers licenses to illegals. I don’t see how Calif. And these other states are in compliance with Real ID. But seems that only New Mexico faces sanctions.

[kingu]

California’s driver’s licenses for illegals state ‘Federal Limits Apply’ - New Mexico doesn’t. Hence why California’s will be acceptable and New Mexico’s won’t.

[MeganC]

Don’t they have the same kind of law in California?

[CedarDave]

California's driver's licenses for illegals state 'Federal Limits Apply' - New Mexico doesn't. Hence why California's will be acceptable and New Mexico's won't.

How does that stop an illegal from getting a license? I don't understand.

[laplata]

I emailed the article to a buddy who works for Boeing on Kirkland. This is his cleaned up reply to me:

“The gate pictured is my most frequently used gate. I have a CAC, so I don’t need to worry about access....but, those who get on base with other forms of ID are screaming!

Thanks sanctuary minded democrat *ssholes!”

P

[IYAS9YAS]

Why? If New Mexico can't get its act together and quit issuing driver licenses to criminal invaders, that's not my problem.

What's sad is a majority of NM (65% to 35%) voters want the licenses for illegals to stop. The Dem-controlled state senate won't even consider it. Even regular Dem citizens want to ban the licenses for illegals.

[NorthMountain]

It’s time for pitchforks and torches ... tar and feathers ... steel cages and welders.

[Gil4]

How does that stop an illegal from getting a license? I don't understand.

It just means the Cal license is acceptable for access to federal facilities because they distinguish between citizens and criminal invaders. New Mexico licenses don't.

[CedarDave]

It just means the Cal license is acceptable for access to federal facilities because they distinguish between citizens and criminal invaders. New Mexico licenses don't.

I still don't understand. If a Cal license is acceptable for access to federal facilities, the person that got it had to provide proof of citizenship or is present in the US legally. Is that the case?

In New Mexico, all illegals have to do is provide two proofs of residency (e.g. two utility bills with an address on it, for example) and proof of foreign country birth or, for Mexican citizens, a Mexican Consulate ID card. No other test identifying them as to immigration status is required. And no indication is present on the license as to what ID was presented.

[Gil4]

To receive the standard CA license you have to prove citizenship. If you don’t prove citizenship, you get a license with “Federal Limits Apply” on it. That one is not accepted for access to federal facilities.

NM makes no distinction, so there is no way to tell if the holder is a citizen or not.

[CedarDave]

Thank you. That is the point I wanted someone to make. CA requires US citizenship (or legal alien status, I presume) for that type of license. As you pointed out, NM has no such requirement.

[Mike Darancette]

Sounds like they are trying to punish the NM Latina Republican governor.