By Samuel Rubenfeld
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer abandoned his proposal to give driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants after facing withering opposition since he announced it in September.
At a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, Spitzer announced his decision. “It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic,” Spitzer said.
A poll by Siena College released this week said 65 percent of the public opposed the plan.
Spitzer originally announced the plan as a move to get undocumented immigrants to “come out of the shadows” and to enhance public safety.
The proposal was controversial from the beginning. Critics attacked the plan as making it easier for terrorists to obtain driver’s licenses, and Spitzer’s plan reached a national stage during the last debate between Democratic hopefuls for president when Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) faced attacks for waffling on the issue.
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) issued a statement criticizing Spitzer for the measure.
“Ultimately, it took an uprising from within his own party to force him to back down today,” Bruno said.
“There comes a time when the wisest move is to focus on different challenges, and I congratulate Governor Spitzer for demonstrating that today,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. “Washington’s failure to come up with an immigration policy is what’s really hurting us, and I’ll continue to work with the Governor to lobby for the kind of change we need.”
Spitzer’s proposal also hit a snag with supporters when he announced a compromise with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that involved a multi-tiered license system which included identification for undocumented immigrant and full-fledged licenses for citizens that comply with the federal Real ID Act.
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued a statement saying it was time to move on. “Governor Spitzer today did the right thing by listening to the public’s concerns and setting aside an issue that had become increasingly divisive,” it said.
Immigrant support groups expressed their frustration with Spitzer’s backing down.
“Governor Spitzer’s announcement today that he is abandoning his driver’s license effort represents a huge lost opportunity to improve the lives of immigrant New Yorkers and enhance public safety,” The New York Immigration Coalition said in a statement. “But today’s developments also serve as a call to action for a real solution at the national level. “Students agreed with the decision to drop the plan.
“Having a license to drive is a privilege for a legal citizen,” Ross Greenberg, a freshman film production major, said. “And illegals should not have that privilege.”