Recent census figures indicate that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States is a record 6 to 9 million, and along with the increase in the illegal immigrant population, benefits for the immigrants are also increasing. Some states and communities reason that unequal treatment of illegal immigrants posses too great a threat to public order and safety, so they have eased requirements for obtaining a driver’s license and allowed illegal immigrants to qualify for cheaper college tuition. Proponents of such actions are afraid of having unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road and argue that society is hurt when teenagers drop out of school due to financial difficulty, but opponents say that such measures only reward law-breakers.
See "As Illegal Immigrant Numbers Grow, So Do Benefits", Mary Beth Sheridan, The Washington Post, July 31, 2001