LOUISVILLE — A Washington group that advocates tougher immigration laws is backing a bill in the General Assembly that would make it harder for a foreigner to get a driver's license in Kentucky.

        But some say the bill is an overreaction to Sept. 11, and would further alienate some minorities, like Hispanics, who have flocked to parts of the state in recent years.

        The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a privately funded nonprofit group, sent a representative to Louisville on Wednesday to announce its support of the driver's licensing bill. The group, called FAIR, recently drew criticism for running television ads in Iowa, blaming lax immigration enforcement for America's ills.

        Wednesday, Jim Staudenraus, FAIR's East regional director, said the group is getting involved here because it wants to keep state driver's licenses out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.

        The bill FAIR is backing would require foreigners to show proof of residency, such as rent or a mortgage payment, before they could get a driver's license. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began enforcing a policy of no licenses for foreigners on visiting visas last year, but it's not a state law.

        But Gil Esparza, head of the Hispanic Resource Center in Covington, said the bill is simply “an overreaction” to the events of Sept. 11.

        “The reason why we have a problem with it is because not everybody that is here is here on a resident basis,” said Mr. Esparza, who opened the center in response to a Hispanic boom in Northern Kentucky.

        He said many foreigners who are visiting with visas or are in the process of applying for citizenship would be denied a license.

        Mr. Esparza, a prelaw student at Northern Kentucky University, said the law could spark incidents of racial profiling.

        “You're going to see police officers, all over the state, pulling Hispanic people over” if the bill becomes law, he said.

        But Mr. Staudenraus said tougher restrictions would prevent corruption and easy access for criminals.

        He noted a recent incident in Memphis, Tenn., where the FBI is investigating the death of a license examiner accused in a conspiracy that provided licenses to some Middle Eastern men on false pretenses. The examiner, Katherine Smith, was found dead in her car Sunday, her body burned beyond recognition.

        “Our concern today is that we don't want another state following in Tennessee's footsteps,” Mr. Staudenraus said.

        “The Kentucky driver's license could be used by a potential terrorist to attack a target anywhere in the U.S.”

        The state Transportation Cabinet's policy changes — which also include a maximum 30-day waiting period for non-U.S. applicants and required proof of residency — came after an October letter from Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Tony Miller to elected officials in Frankfort and Washington, D.C.

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