A Republican state assemblyman is accusing the state DMV and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer of perpetrating a major homeland security breach.

State Assemblyman Greg Ball said Friday that 23,000 driver?s licenses were issued to non-citizens last year as part of a plan implemented by Spitzer. Those licenses post a serious threat in the current security environment, he says.

Ball and Ed Kowalski, director of 9-11 Families for a Secure America, both say those who received the licenses did not go through the same security checks that were later adopted. Spitzer?s plan to give non-citizens licenses and ID cards was ultimately dropped after objections and protests.

State DMV Commissioner David Swarts says the agency did take the appropriate steps at the time to make sure security issues were minimized.