New Mexico the Hub for Undocumented Immigrants

Attracted by a 2003 law, people from all over the world are traveling to New Mexico to obtain driver's licenses because the state doesn't require proof of citizenship or legal residency. According to a copyright story Friday in the Albuquerque Journal, authorities have arrested a growing number of suspected undocumented immigrants who have traveled from as far away as China to fraudulently obtain New Mexico licenses. The Associated Press reported last summer that three states — Washington, New Mexico and Utah — were seeing surges in the number of immigrants seeking IDs, a trend experts attributed to crackdowns on illegal immigration in Arizona and elsewhere.

Shu Sheng Lui told a state police officer Wednesday she had flown to Albuquerque from Missouri and paid a man $500 to help her get a New Mexico driver's license. Lui, 33, along with Hiew Fongyee, 31, and Lam Fong Siu, 44, were arrested at a state Motor Vehicle Division office in Albuquerque's south valley after they tried to obtain licenses using forged residency documents. According to criminal complaints, the Chinese nationals had paid 22-year-old Gordon Leong for forged documents showing they live in New Mexico so they could obtain driver's licenses. Leong was arrested and charged with conspiracy. Lui faces the same charge. Fongyee and Siu, who both live in New York, were charged with one count of altered, forged or fictitious license.

"It shows that we have a good process in place that is meant to detect any fraud or anyone trying to get a license without proper documentation," MVD spokesman S.U. Mahesh said. New Mexico residents have generally opposed the state's driver's license law, according to a recent Albuquerque Journal poll that found that 67 percent of residents are against it. On the campaign trail, Gov.-elect Susana Martinez pledged that she would work to revoke licenses issued to foreign nationals under the law.

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California's driver's licenses getting a new look

Long a favorite target for fraud by underage drinkers and illegal immigrants, the California driver's license is getting a high-tech face-lift. The card unveiled Wednesday gains a range of advanced security features, from laser-engraved signatures printed in raised lettering to photos that can be seen only under ultraviolet light - all part of an effort to thwart increasingly sophisticated counterfeiters.

"The new security features, coupled with advanced technology, make California driver licenses and identification cards one of the most secure identification documents in the country," Department of Motor Vehicles director George Valverde said in a statement. Still, some experts remain unconvinced that the new license will stymie every counterfeiter.

Given the lucrative nature of the black market and the high demand for California licenses, someone will eventually figure out a way to duplicate even the most sophisticated features, according to one security expert. "Anything that's designed by man can be duplicated by man - it'll just cost more and take more time to do," said San Fernando Valley-based private detective John Grogan. "I guarantee there will be good-looking copies within weeks.These measures, though, will make it impossible for people who want to do it themselves." Possibly the most dramatic feature of the new license is that cards for drivers under 21 will be designed with a vertical layout making it easier for bars, nightclubs and police to see that the person is underage.

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More Victims Reporting Driver's License Scam

In April, Greg Lapore said he got a new drivers license in the mail, but the photo and name on the license was not his. The name on the license said Paulo Cruz-Rangel, although the address belonged to Lapore. Lapore said he does not know Cruz-Rangel. According to investigators, they are now learning about a new scam plaguing innocent residents in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area. They said illegal immigrants are traveling from eight different states, selecting random Albuquerque addresses and filling out change of address forms, to get false residential documents and then obtain drivers licenses.

According to State Tax and Fraud investigator Alvan Romero, this scam can ruin a person financially. Originally, 24 victims were identified. Since the story aired on Action 7 News last week, more than a dozen victims have come forward. "We consider this a public service announcement. We want to get this out to everyone," said Romero. Luckily, Lapore intercepted the ID before a complete stranger got it. He called the post office and the MVD. "If somebody else would have had a valid drivers license with my address on it, who knows what kind of problems they would've caused," said Lapore.

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