N.Y. Drops Illegal Immigrant License Plan

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he was abandoning a plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, but said that the federal government had "lost control" of its borders and left states to deal with the consequences.

"I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own," Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting with members of the state's congressional delegation.

Spitzer said overwhelming public opposition led to his decision.

The governor introduced the plan with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged Spitzer would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe. Many New Yorkers agreed with them.

About 70 percent of New Yorkers oppose the license plan, according to a Siena College poll of 625 registered voters released Tuesday. The poll, conducted Nov. 5-8, had a sampling error margin of 3.9 percentage points.

"You don't need a stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of the public on this one," the governor told reporters. "There are some moments where emotions are simply too hot."

Last month, Spitzer sought to salvage the license effort by striking a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to create three distinct types of state driver's licenses: one "enhanced" that will be as secure as a passport; a second-tier license good for boarding airplanes; and a third marked not valid for federal purposes that would be available to illegal immigrants and others.

The topic has become an uncomfortable one for Democrats. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the presidential race, has come under scrutiny for her noncommittal remarks on the subject.

Clinton has said she supports governors like Spitzer who try to address the national problem of immigration, but has refused to say whether she supports or opposes Spitzer's actual plan.