EDITORIAL IDENTITY TEST DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WON'T SOLVE LARGER PROBLEMS.

LOCAL business and political leaders have come together in support of allowing illegal immigrants living in California to get state driver's licenses.

The movement to provide quasi-legalization of the undocumented immigrants is clearly gaining momentum.

There is increasing acceptance of identity cards issued by the Mexican Consulate, and now the driver's license proposal is working its way through the state Legislature with the support of Mayor James Hahn, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association.

For many supporters, the goal is backdoor legalization. For others, it's a recognition of the failure of the federal government to enforce immigration laws and protect the nation's borders.

There is an urgent demand to know who is living in our state for basic law enforcement and to protect against terrorism. As many as 2 million illegal immigrants are driving without licenses or insurance. Without identities, the vast population of undocumented people leads to sweatshops, slum housing conditions and many other problems.

Something must be done, but one-sided policies are not enough. The price of being eligible for driver's licenses, in-state college tuition fees and legal protections must include requirements for identifying all residents of the state with strict enforcement against those who do not come forward in a reasonable time.

Giving rights without responsibilities will only make the illegal immigration problem worse. And California cannot afford that.