New Hampshire Democrats have proposed legislation permitting illegal aliens to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license. HB374 is disguised as a privacy bill, which is sneaky, but the thing is full of traps.
The giveaway comes early. The description or analysis, a summation of the purpose of the legislation, states that (emphasis mine).
This bill prohibits the department of transportation from disclosing any record that identifies whether the type of driver’s license that a person holds meets federal standards for identification, prohibits motor vehicle information form being shared with federal immigration enforcement agencies conducting civil investigations, and amends which information is required for driver’s license applications.
There is a net-zero reason for ICE to investigate a legal citizen unless they are aiding illegal citizens in illegal activity, so that’s strike one.
Strike two (emphasis in original).
No person, business, government, or any entity within the boundaries of the United States shall refuse the presentation of a Real ID or non-Real ID driver’s license as a form of identification. However, a driver’s license shall not be considered prima facie evidence of a person’s citizenship, immigration status, or eligibility to work or vote in the state.
The bill tries to give all those non-resident voters a solid, and it’s a big problem in the Granite State. HB374 would enshrine in state law that a driver’s license is not proof of citizenship or residency. Not just in New Hampshire but anywhere. If I read this right, a person using an out-of-state license to register to vote in New Hampshire could not be defined as an out-of-state resident and intelligible to vote regardless of what other statutes might say.
I’m not sure if that came up in the debate. My analysis is post-mortem. As Judy Aron reported Wednesday morning, the day after the vote, HB374 was killed on the floor of the NH House.
We learned that illegal aliens still will not be able to obtain a driver’s license in NH. HB 374 was killed 191-179 because 191 House members understand that with a driver’s license in NH, one can vote, obtain government benefits, open bank accounts, and do a myriad of other things that legal citizens can do. Giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses only aids and abets illegal aliens to live and work illegally in the US and rewards them for violating immigration laws. We don’t want that, but apparently, most House Democrats do.
Providing a social security number when applying for a license has never been a requirement in nH for a non-REAL-ID license, but this bill reinforces that, probably because illegals won’t have one.
It’s all very sketchy, and yes, the bill died this year, but they will bring it back. And not just to give licenses to non-citizens. That language about driver’s licenses not linking you to a legal address is dangerous, and we need to watch out for it in any bill the Dems put forward.
