Pro

The Center for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology Policy, in a Dec. 17, 2004 press release entitled "Not Issuing Driver's Licenses to Illegal Aliens Is Bad for National Security," offered:

“If 13 million people living within our borders can’t drive, fly, travel on a train or bus, or otherwise participate in society without a driver’s license and they cannot get a legitimate one, then the market will supply them an illegal fraudulent one…

On the other hand, if illegal aliens are allowed to get legitimate licenses upon thorough vetting of their identity, then the only ones who will be trying to get fraudulent documents will be terrorists or criminals…

Fourteen states currently allow driver’s licenses to be obtained without showing ‘legal presence.’ These laws were enacted for public safety reasons — to ensure that drivers meet some standard to drive and to lower insurance premiums by decreasing the pool of unlicensed and uninsured drivers…

The analogous arguments hold for national security — the more we can encourage otherwise law abiding people within our borders to participate in the system the easier it will be to identify those that pose a true threat.”

Dec. 17, 2004