North Carolina Democratic lawmakers, clergy and Hispanic young adults say a state plan to issue specially marked licenses to qualifying illegal immigrants later this month is discriminatory and reinforces the idea that they are second-class residents.

They held a news conference Monday in Raleigh to speak against the state Department of Transportation's decision to issue the licenses to immigrants with valid federal work permits under a new Obama administration program. The specially marked state licenses will have bright pink stripes and the words "NO LAWFUL STATUS" on them.

Several Democrats have filed a bill that would direct the licenses to look like any others. State Rep. Rick Glazier of Fayetteville says the pink stripe demonizes those who receive the licenses.

Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, backs the state agency's plan, calling it a "pragmatic compromise."