During a White House press briefing last week, White House Spokesman Scott McClellan responded to a question posed to him regarding whether the President would present a formal legislation for his plan to reform immigration law in the U.S. before the elections.  McClellan responded, saying that it is ultimately up to Congress to introduce the legislation.  He contended that the plan the President outlined is still a priority, and the White House has had discussions with members of Congress to move forward on those efforts.

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The Daily Times (Maryland) reported last week that the state’s governor has created a special task force to make a recommendation regarding the state’s policy towards granting drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants.  Immigration lawyers, the business community and law enforcement officials provided testimony and differing opinions on the issue.  The issue has become more urgent as the state’s immigrant population has surged over the past decade. 

While some claim that the roads will become safer because the immigrants will have to take the proper driving courses, others are simply opposed to the notion of granting legitimacy to those who are not legally inside the country.  Businesses leaders claim that granting the licenses is necessary because they rely upon foreign workers to fill positions that local residents refuse to take.  Many of those positions are in areas not served by public transportation.