Cities Have Second Thoughts About ID Cards for Undocumented

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

Sep. 5--RICHMOND -- After months of drumming up support for a plan to provide city ID cards to Richmond residents, regardless of their immigration status, advocates are taking a more cautious approach: Let a bigger city try it first.

"We're letting San Francisco take the first step," said retired teacher Antonio Medrano, a member of the Contra Costa County Municipal ID Task Force. "We're sort of waiting for them to be the guinea pigs."

But the wait keeps getting longer. Last month, San Francisco was supposed to become the first big city in the country to provide such cards, which would serve as proof of identity and residency, list allergies or emergency contacts for children, double as a library card and allow cardholders to open a checking account.

When the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to approve the plan last November, proponents said it would help bring thousands of the city's undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. But concerns about cost and conflicts with immigration law have put its implementation on hold.

"We are not moving (ahead) with an ID card program that is not in strict compliance with federal and state law," said Nathan Ballard, spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Ballard said the mayor ordered city administrators to carefully review the ID plan a few weeks ago, and the results of that examination have not been released yet.

In Richmond, card proponents say the upcoming City Council

election has caused them to wait and watch as a changing political landscape sorts itself out in November. The size of the council is shrinking to seven members from nine, with several incumbents and challengers fighting for the remaining spots.

Councilman John Marquez supports the ID cards as a way of encouraging more immigrants to report crimes without fear of getting in trouble, but he said that this season may not be the best time.

"In my opinion, to push it forward right now, before the election, might be seen by some as political -- an election decision," Marquez said. "To do it now would create those kinds of distractions."

Medrano, who is running for the West Contra Costa school board, said that some on the council, including Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, would support municipal identification cards.

The mayor said they would create a "stronger sense of self and community" in a city where about one-fourth of residents are foreign-born.

"This is really a human rights issue to allow for all individuals to access services: things like bank accounts, ATMs (and) libraries," McLaughlin said. "And human rights are something that have to be fought for."

As evidence of the potential benefits of city ID cards, local proponents have pointed to New Haven, Conn., which pioneered municipal ID cards beginning last summer. Almost 6,000 people now hold the multipurpose Elm City Resident Card, according to program administrator Kica Matos, who said the cards are recognized by city agencies and banks and make many immigrants feel more secure.

"I definitely think it works," said New Haven police Lt. Luiz Casanova. "From a police point of view, it makes interaction with police a lot smoother and easier. One of the first questions we ask folks is, 'Do you have ID?'"

If there is a car accident, Casanova said, "We can still give them a ticket for operating without a Connecticut license, but at least we know who the person is."

But the New Haven policy has also created its share of controversy and litigation, including a lawsuit that demands the city release the identities of all the people who signed up for a card.

In May, the Immigration Reform Law Institute, which helped draft the lawsuit against New Haven, sued San Francisco in hopes of ending the program before it started. The institute, based in Washington, D.C., is the legal branch of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates reducing legal and illegal immigration.

"They will be distributing these municipal ID cards to illegal aliens," said Sharma Hammond, a lawyer for the institute. "It will encourage other illegal immigrants to move to San Francisco to reap the benefits of this ID card."

San Francisco lawyers will attempt to dismiss the lawsuit in a hearing Sept. 23. The lawsuit argues that the city failed to account for the environmental impacts of the ID cards, which "will add to traffic congestion, increase water and air pollution, and increase the demand of consumption of limited natural resources in San Francisco." It also argues that the cards violate federal laws and would be an illegal expenditure of public money.

San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano said the lawsuit will not cause city leaders to water down the program.

"We're moving forward, fully confident it can withstand any legal challenge," Ammiano said.

immigration town hall What: Bay Area Town Hall Meeting on immigration When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Where: St. Cornelius Church Gym, 201 28th St., Richmond Topics: Organizers say they are holding the meeting to talk about how to "stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, pass municipal ID laws, make California a sanctuary state and end discriminatory police checkpoints."

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Copyright (c) 2008, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

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