Driver’s License Security Standards Deferred Again



The driver’s license security standards enacted in the REAL ID Act of 2005 have been fully met by only 13 states and the administration has deferred for the fourth time a deadline intended to ensure compliance with the law. The Department of Homeland Security issued a press release on December 20 in which it said, “…those states not found to meet the standards will receive a temporary deferment that will allow Federal agencies to continue to accept their licenses and identification cards for boarding commercial aircraft and other official purposes.”

A few states have openly defied the administration and adopted a policy of refusing to comply with the law, and rather than calling their bluff, the administration has pursued a policy of ignoring the defiance and repeatedly issuing compliance extensions. It apparently is not because DHS does not recognize the importance of the security issue involved in secure driver’s licenses. The press release says, “Secure driver’s licenses and identification documents are a vital component of a holistic national security strategy. Law enforcement must be able to rely on government-issued identification documents and know that the bearer of such a document is who he or she claims to be.” But tightening up the issuance standards as required by the law also limits the ability of illegal aliens to obtain licenses with fraudulent documents, and that is a concern of the defenders of illegal aliens – a constituency that is apparently more important to the administration than the public in general that remains more vulnerable to international terrorism as long as comprehensive driver’s license security remains deferred.

About Author

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Jack, who joined FAIR’s National Board of Advisors in 2017, is a retired U.S. diplomat with consular experience. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and has authored studies of immigration issues. His national and international print, TV, and talk radio experience is extensive (including in Spanish).

2 Comments

  1. avatar

    A ‘temporary deferment” for a law passed in 2005? This is like “temporary protected status” where the only thing temporary are the one year deferments that are issued year after year like clockwork. Because that way they can continue to play the game until their hoped for amnesty makes all those people legal anyway. One more example of our “broken system”. But it’s broken because we continue to ignore the law and this administration lets states defy the law, while trying to bring the hammer down on states like Arizona when they try to enforce the law. Hypocrites and liars. NBC just ran a piece on the Nightly News about border control groups that had set up cameras on ranches located on the border. And it showed large groups continually crossing the border smuggling drugs and illegals. And then they had the typical upper management shill for the border patrol saying oh no, don’t believe your own eyes, the border is secure.

  2. avatar

    But Its Conservative to Support States’ Rights Over Federal Laws

    Hogwash….both Democrats and Republicans pick and choose which state laws they’ll support or fight; and their rationale for support is neither Conservative or Liberal….its Fascist Foreign Corporate bent.

    Drivers Licenses to IAs encourages overpopulation and more workforce job scarcity….root cause American economic destruction Fascist Foreign Corporate politicians all support, from either party too.