In the United States, a driver's license now more than just a
             certificate that allows a person drive. A license is now used as the
             primary means of identification, one that allows a rightful holder to buy
             alcoholic beverages, cash checks, get welfare and other public assistance
             or obtain a permit to carry a firearm. Prior to the World Trade Center
             attacks on September 11, 2001, passengers only needed a boarding pass and a
             driver's license to board on an airplane.
             Growing security concerns, however, have highlighted the problem of
             granting driver's licenses and state identification cards to illegal
             aliens. Many of the terrorists involved in the World Trade Center attacks,
             for example, had valid driver's licenses (Sundeen).
             This paper examines the pros and cons of laws to grant driver's
             licenses to all immigrants, regardless of their immigration status. The
             first part of this paper is an overview regarding the different laws and
             bills related to driver's licenses for immigrants. The next part then
             looks at critics of this measure. In the conclusion, the paper examines
             compromise solutions that address both the need to ensure that all drivers
             have the mandatory driving skills while also addressing security issues.
             The laws governing the issuance of driver's licenses vary from state
             to state. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform
             (FAIR), only half the states and the District of Columbia require legal
             residency to issue a license or state ID card (FAIR Website). The American
             Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, at least 20 states do not
             require legal residency to issue a driver's license. In states like
             Illinois and California, even temporary visitors to the country could get
             In addition, 60 states rely on little more than a Social Security card
             or a birth certificate as proof of a person's legal status in the country.
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