The two remaining states that let illegal immigrants get regular driver’s licenses—New Mexico and Washington—are both taking a hard line on out-of-state license applicants.
Washington officials started requiring more proof from applicants that they lived in the state, after noticing an uptick in the number of applicants without Social Security numbers over the last three years, reports The Seattle Times. In the past year, the changes led to a drop in the share of out-of-state applicants who have no Social Security number from 16 percent to 8 percent.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is also pushing to crack down on driver’s licenses issued to illegal immigrants. Last year, Martinez, a Republican, campaigned on the promise to eliminate driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants entirely, but she could not push the change through the legislature this spring. Now, she is using administrative tools to reduce their number. Her administration is sending out letters to 10,000 license holders who have no Social Security numbers, demanding proof of residency in New Mexico, reports The New Mexico Independent.
