Newspaper: Illegal Immigrants Registered Vehicles in Ohio

A newspaper reports that Ohio policy allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to register cars and get license plates.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the outgoing director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety delayed a proposed crackdown for more than a year.

The crackdown was scheduled to begin Aug. 1, 2008, but Director Henry Guzman decided the new policy needed more work after meeting with dozens of mostly Latino business owners.

Car dealers, insurance company officials and others were concerned about their bottom lines. Officials said individuals who falsified power-of-attorney forms to obtain registrations for illegal immigrants were also present.

Stricter regulations requiring a valid driver’s license or state ID number didn’t take effect until Aug. 24 this year.