November 14, 2007
For Immediate Release
NAKASEC Joint Statement
By the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
Korean American Resource & Cultural Center
Korean Resource Center
YKASEC – Empowering the Korean American Community
Governor Eliot Spitzer Lets Down New York and Our Nation Again
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium and its affiliates – the Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles, the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center in Chicago, and YKASEC-Empowering the Korean American Community in New York – are gravely disappointed and stunned by New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer’s decision to completely turn his back away from efforts to produce any practical solutions to the driver's license issue. Governor Spitzer’s move is a compromised political decision, playing right into the hands of a vocal minority of anti-immigrants, and betraying all New Yorkers as well as immigrant communities throughout our nation.
Changing his mind twice in the last two weeks, his wrong decisions represent a complete departure from his initial "One Driver’s License for All’ policy. Two weeks ago, Governor Spitzer even stood with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to endorse the REAL ID Act. REAL ID creates a multi-tiered licensing system and forces DMV employees to act as de facto immigration officers. Most importantly, REAL ID transforms our nation into Big Brother and, in effect, destroys real life. Instead of correcting his policy failures and going back to a sound policy that would make New York a safer and more secure state for all, Governor Spitzer chose a route that pushes immigrants further into the shadows.
NAKASEC and affiliates will continue to expand our grassroots organizing reach not only to immigrant communities but also to our neighbors because we believe that education and sincere dialogue are keys to unifying and uplifting all our communities --- enabling all of us to fight for a better America. Finally we will continue to work to stop the REAL ID Act from being implemented, and instead embrace positive policies of immigrant integration and comprehensive immigration reform.
For more information, please contact Yu Soung Mun, YKASEC at 718.460.5600 or ysm [at] ykasec.org. Detailed information about this new policy is available at www.nakasec.org.
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