WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A senior U.S. official said Monday that if driver's licenses are issued to illegal immigrants, their use as de facto identity cards will have to be rethought.
"Historically, we've looked at it that (applicants for a driver's license) ought to be able to prove citizenship, because we've relied upon those driver's licenses," Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security told reporters. "If the states are going to change the historical context and say they don't need citizenship ... then we have to change our whole reliance upon them."
Hutchinson's remarks came as the California state assembly acted to repeal a driver's license reform bill. The controversial bill would have repealed the requirement for applicants to prove citizenship or legal residency, effectively allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses.
Nineteen states do not require any proof of legal residence to issue a driver's license, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
