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"In the past few years, New Mexico has scrambled to request multiple extensions with Homeland Security so the state\u2019s non-compliance with the Real ID law can be waived.The Real ID Act was signed into law in 2005.It lists updated ID requirements states must follow if they want the licenses they issue to be honored at federal facilities, commercial airports, and nuclear power plants. Many states fall within compliance of the Real ID act, however New Mexico does not since the state issues licenses to undocumented immigrants.Kentucky had a similar problem, but the state\u2019s licenses now currently meet compliance under the Real ID law.The story leaves many wondering where New Mexico stands on the issue.To get the government\u2019s approval stamp, the state legislature must repeal a decade-old law that gives New Mexico the green light to hand out licenses to undocumented immigrants, according to Demesia Padilla, secretary of Taxation and Revenue for the state.There have been efforts to repeal the law many times during past legislative sessions, but those efforts have failed.\u201COur New Mexico legislators need to recognize that Real ID implementation is a reality, and New Mexicans lives are going to start to be impacted soon,\u201D Padilla said.The state already asked for an extension in July. If it doesn\u2019t get approved before October 2014, the worst case scenario is that New Mexicans will have to provide additional documentation when they go to federal facilities. Padilla says you would need a passport to get through security checkpoints at commercial airports, but noted that the federal government won\u2019t implement that restriction until January 2016.Padilla also noted that all of this can be avoided if that decade old law is simply repealed come January during the legislative session.Gov. Susana Martinez has supported repealing the law but state democrats have opposed her.Mobile users: Tap for video"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.koat.com/article/nm-remains-non-compliant-with-real-id-law/5058189>