New York City ? Facing growing pressure from his own party, Gov. Eliot Spitzer indicated he had not ruled out rescinding a heavily criticized plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, according to published reports.

Spitzer’s proposal has generated a politically charged debate that has reverberated in the presidential campaign. He said Friday he was standing by the plan for now, but he suggested he might consider backing off if he could not build enthusiasm for it, The New York Times and other New York newspapers reported in Saturday’s editions.

The Democratic governor has weathered intense criticism since he announced the license plan in September. He said giving driving credentials to people now “living in the shadows” would make traffic safer, shrink auto insurance premiums by insuring more drivers and boost security by identifying more immigrants.

But opponents in Albany and around the country have countered that there are security risks in giving government identification to as many as 1 million illegal immigrants in New York State. Some have also said the plan will encourage illegal immigration to the state.