LA. Sen. Vitter halts distro of Matricula in Lafayette

[UncleSamchez]

I'M PROUD!


Permit to issue Mexican ID cards revoked
By Kyle Jackson
The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), November 16, 2007

The Mexican Consulate's trip to Lafayette this weekend to issue a controversial identification card to Mexican nationals may not happen because local officials have revoked the consulate's permit to operate in a Lafayette government facility.

City Parish-President Joey Durel along with U.S. Senator David Vitter, R-Metairie, announced Thursday that the city was revoking the consulate's permit, which would have allowed them to operate out of the Clifton Chenier Center this Saturday and Sunday. The consulate planned to issue matricula consular identification cards, a non-U.S. issued form of ID for Mexican nationals.

The card however has come under fire locally and nationally because the consulate doesn't necessarily verify immigration status before it issues the card, so any Mexican national, whether they are in the U.S. legally or illegally, can get one.

'If there's any possibility of aiding illegal aliens on city-parish property, that's not something we want to be a part of,' said Rob Stevenson, Lafayette City-Parish Council chairman.

Officials with the Mexican Consulate's office in Houston said they aren't sure if they will postpone the trip to Lafayette entirely or not.

Lolita Parkinson, media specialist with the consulate, said Thursday evening that her office is still trying to find an alternate private location to house the mobile consulate.

In a written statement, Durel said he discussed the issue with Stevenson regarding how the Mexican Consulate would verify the immigration status of each Mexican national applying for a card. After having a 'lack of assurance' of the consulate's procedures, Durel said, 'we could not allow this potential illegal activity to happen in a government building.'

Durel said he became aware of the cards after receiving phone calls and questions from citizens. The issue came to the forefront however after being contacted by the offices of Vitter and U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette.

Stevenson said he became aware of the consulate's plan only after reading an article in The Daily Advertiser. He noted that the Mexican Consulate was in Lafayette last year assisting Mexican nationals with passport renewal and he thought this upcoming return to Lafayette was regarding passports. Stevenson said that he and Durel had a conference call with Vitter on Thursday morning where Vitter expressed his views about the ID card.

'We had no idea these cards were being issued,' Stevenson said. 'We thought they wanted to help legal aliens with renewing their passports. This was not divulged to us.'

Vitter said it would be 'ridiculous' to allow the consulate to use a 'building paid for by taxpayers to issue ID cards to benefit illegal aliens.'

The decision comes directly after Vitter issued a news release through his office earlier this week asking officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, to have agents be present at the mobile Mexican Consulate.

'I have huge concerns that the issuance of these cards could be used for the benefit of illegal immigrants,' Vitter said in a written statement. 'An individual who is residing illegally in the United States could be issued this card and then use it in a transaction that requires some form of identification. The Mexican Consulate has stated their intent to issue these cards to any of their citizens who reside in the United States, even if they are doing so illegally, and that is simply unacceptable.'

Vitter also stated that he believes the cards are just a form of ID that assist illegal aliens in having privileges such as opening bank accounts at some financial institutions.

Greg Hassel, spokesman for Chase Bank, has said that his bank and others around the country accept the matricula card as a second form of ID to allow Mexican nationals to open an account. Several local banks, such as Iberia Bank, Teche Federal Bank and Home Bank don't currently accept the card but may do so in the future.

'I have said all along that I believe the Mexican Consulate's true intent is to provide identification cards to its citizens who are living here illegally,' Vitter said. 'These cards could help these illegals set up bank accounts, get credit cards and possibly even government services.'

Local law enforcement agencies don't accept the card however. Louisiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Markus Smith has stated that his agency does not recognize the card because it has no validity as a form of U.S.-government-issued ID.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pb...711160324/1002

[ALIPAC]

Sweet!

W

[SOSADFORUS]

Way to go Vitter, gotta love the guy, there is some in Wash. that could take lessons in patriotism and common sense from him and Sessions!!



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[CCUSA]

Another victory!

The spotlight is getting pretty bright these days on the Mexican government's tricks. Glad to see them stopped.

[ChromeDome]

Senator Vitter has shown that he is a true champion of wanting our laws enforced.La. has a very good Senator to represent them.

[jimpasz]

How cool it that?

[wilro]

Senator Vitter is a true patriot.

[Shapka]

Ditto.

Him and Jindal are going to revitalize that state.

[blackz28]

I'm glad to hear that they are watching out for us and trying to keep this criminal activity at bay. The nerve of the Mexican consolant.

[corhanem]

Greg Hassel, spokesman for Chase Bank, has said that his bank and others around the country accept the matricula card as a second form of ID to allow Mexican nationals to open an account.

Actually, I have a little story to tell. I am currently a Wachovia account holder. I went in earlier this week to make a deposit and cash a check. I handed the papers and my valid PA drivers license to the teller. She then asked if I had my check card with me. I said yes, and she said it's their "preferred form of ID."

She instructed me to run my card through the POS machine and enter my PIN. I looked at her and said, loudly, "Am I a suspected terrorist?"
She looked shocked for a minute, then said no, there's just a lot of fake ID out there and running the card verifies who I am.

I then asked her if they accepted the Mexican Matricula Consulate card as a form of ID, and she said they only accept them as ID to open a new account, but they can't be used to cash checks. (I was scratching my head at this.) I asked her what the point was, and she replied that there was some reason but she didn't know what it was.

I left kind of baffled and feeling a bit perplexed over the whole check card thing, so it didn't dawn on me why all this was happening.

But now I figured it out. An illegal alien criminal can open a new account with the matricula card, order himself a check card on the account, and then not ever HAVE to show that card to cash a check, as he can simply swipe his brand new Visa check card to cash his checks.

I want to switch banks, but my biggest problem is that I actually adore Wachovia. I know the right thing to do is move my money to a bank who supports America. I wonder if the refusal to allow the consulate to issue the fake ID cards will somehow convince Wachovia that this is not an acceptable ID.