Jordan Cooper says he understands why Mexican immigrants cross the border. But he doesn't agree with their actions.

"I know they need to get out of Mexico because of the bad conditions, but some are here to do harm," the 14-year-old Cooper said as he stood outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning with more than 100 tea party supporters, carrying signs with such messages as "Language? English. Culture? American. Borders? Closed!"

And while tea partyers rallied outside to support Gov. Susana Martinez's push to eliminate the 2003 law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses, the Border Network for Human Rights held its own news conference inside the Capitol, delivering 5,000 petitions to Martinez's office from Southern New Mexico residents who support driver's licenses for unauthorized immigrants.

Tuesday was the border group's "action day" to lobby and visit Southern New Mexico legislators. On Thursday, the Santa Fe-based immigrant rights' group Somos Un Pueblo Unido plans to lead another "action day" at noon along with four other statewide organizations, including Engaging Latino Communities for Higher Education and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Allan Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Martinez — whose family's roots are in Mexico — is a true illustration of the "American dream."

Sanchez led the Border Network for Human Rights supporters in a loud chant, aimed at getting the attention of the fourth floor's administration. "Governor, Jesus was an immigrant, too!" they shouted as they held New Mexico and American flags.

César Miss, 11, a Las Cruces sixth-grader, walked toward the governor's office with a box full of documents signed by people who want to keep the driver's license law. Miss said his mother, María Gómez, needs a driver's license in order to get to work and drive him to school.

"If they take away the licenses, there will be many homes left without incomes," Miss said.

Olga Juárez said she took the day off from work to join the action by the Border Network for Human Rights, which focuses on El Paso and Southern New Mexico, because she doesn't want to drive without a license or without insurance.

"If I don't have a license or insurance and I cause an accident, how are [police] going to track me down?" Juárez said. "If I drive without a license, who will be the most affected? I will, of course."

But for tea party supporters such as Debbie Hernandez, allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses means putting public safety at stake.

"I'm here because I want nonlegal residents to not have a driver's license," said Hernandez, a member of the Rio Rancho Tea Party. "And if they have a driver's license, it doesn't necessarily mean that they have the adequate insurance."

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico's director of public policy, Lissa Knudsen, said drivers without Social Security numbers who have applied for licenses since 2003 "have spent $320 million on auto insurance premiums and have paid $17 million in license and registration fees to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division."

Alberto Lino, a 32-year-old U.S. citizen whose entire left side of his body was left paralyzed after two strokes 18 years ago, also showed up on Tuesday. Until the 2003 law, his undocumented wife did not drive, so he took the wheel, he admitted.

"I used to drive illegally," Lino said. "Only half of my body works. And until 2003, when she got a driver license, it was at that point that I saw light through the window. I feel more at ease. She's been driving since."

He added, "If they take her license away, I guess I'll have to start driving again."

Contact Sandra Baltazar Martínez at 986-3062 or smartinez@sfnewmexican.com.