Following lengthy discussions today with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Senator Susan Collins, who is Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, announced that Maine will have two additional days to apply for a REAL ID extension. Secretary Chertoff agreed to Senator Collins’ request to give the state until 5 PM on Wednesday, April 2nd to respond.
Senator Collins consulted with Governor Baldacci during today’s negotiations.
Senator Collins said of the compromise agreement, "I am hopeful that with these negotiations, Maine residents will avoid the tremendous inconvenience that would otherwise occur when they tried to use their driver's licenses for air travel beginning on May 12.”
The Department of Homeland Security has indicated that it will send a letter to the State of Maine asking the State to commit to working on four areas of improvement related to the issuance of drivers’ licenses. DHS will ask the State to commit to: differentiate between licenses issued to illegal aliens and those issued to legal Maine residents or cease issuing drivers licenses to illegal aliens altogether; check an applicant’s legal status with the Department of Homeland Security; ensure that driver's licenses issued to a non-citizens here legally expire at the same time that the individual’s visa expires; and take a photograph of all applicants at the beginning of the process for obtaining a drivers’ license."
“The State will have to take steps to ensure that individuals are not granted driver's licenses if they are not legally in our country. That will greatly improve the security of licenses. I will continue to press for federal funding to help the State make these common-sense changes," Senator Collins added.