Why did Maryland pass the lawful status law?
The federal REAL ID Act of 2005 and its associated regulations have a January 1, 2010 deadline for material compliance of the initial 18-benchmark standards. The law and regulations specifies that states must verify an applicant’s lawful status in the United States. Licenses and identification cards from states that are not in compliance will not be accepted by federal agencies for official purposes such as boarding airplanes and entering federal buildings.
