Washington, May 12
IANS
The US Senate has passed a bill that makes it harder
for citizens to get driver's licences and bans them
altogether for illegal aliens.
It also increases the number of foreign nurses that
can come into this country as well as removes the
cap on seasonal guest workers under H-2B.
The Senate unanimously approved the conference agreement
on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R.
1268) that was for increased funding for Afghanistan
and Iraq.
Now that H.R. 1268 has cleared both bodies of Congress,
it heads to the president's desk for his signature
to become law.
For weeks now, political and civil rights activists
have opposed the Real ID Act provisions and most Democrats
have opposed the restrictions it puts on people seeking
asylum in this country.
It also has stricter rules for driver's licences,
which, they contend, create something like citizenship
identification.
Under the Real ID provisions, all states must require
proof of lawful presence in the US if their driver's
licences are to be accepted as a form of identification
to a federal official.
