With every person arrested trying to exploit Maine law to get a driver’s license, the state’s “not our job” rationale for not considering immigration status in granting licenses grows hollow.

Now the Department of Homeland Security is holding the state’s feet to the fire regarding this policy, as part of its strong-arm strategy over a Real ID extension.

It’s politics most vile. DHS is treating Maine like a misbehaving child, after doling out extensions for Real ID compliance to other dissenters such as New Hampshire, Montana and South Carolina. Critics are right to call this unfair treatment – they should call it petty.

None of this changes the stark reality about Maine licenses. We’ve got a reputation as an easy mark among immigrant populations for giving out identification cards. Maine doesn’t yet even require residency for a license, which a bill now before lawmakers would change.

We’ve said immigration policy should be separate from driver’s licensing requirements. A driver’s license should provide the ability to operate a motor vehicle, not provide a statement of citizenship or legal status.

But as more people are apprehended trying to subvert Maine’s licensing policies, maintaining this separation of immigration policy and driver’s licenses becomes harder to maintain. Although we may wish to keep the issues apart, reality is forcing them together.

Keeping licensing and immigration as separate issues keeps state workers from entering boundaries beyond their purview. This is the “not our job” argument – immigration is a federal standard, which states have no authority to enforce. On its face, this is the right approach.

State agencies should avoid becoming de facto naturalization agencies, especially when immigration status is already addressed in the eligibility requirements for many services. There’s no reason to go any further, unless there are concerted attempts to use Maine’s lax regulations to procure identity documentation unavailable in other states. Evidence says this is happening across the state.

The most recent example was in Biddeford on March 20, when two men, both undocumented aliens, were arrested at a post office. Prosecutors say it was part of a scheme to procure Maine driver’s licenses for illegal aliens residing out-of-state. This is a problem Maine should do more than simply request residency to solve.

Tough laws have been passed for lesser reasons. Dwindling seat belt use has resulted in the failure to belt becoming a primary driving offense. Rashes of copper thefts have spurred tougher laws on scrap dealers. And don’t think about smoking with kids in the car.

All of these laws – whether liked or not – stem from identification of a problem, and effort to protect the public interest. Preserving the integrity of a Maine driver’s license against those who would exploit our regulations falls along the same lines. Licenses and immigration policy, after all, should be separate.

Inquiring about status might be the only way to make it so.