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Share this article Published: Thursday, September 18, 2008

Updated: Thursday, September 18, 2008

The research initiated by UNC senior Drew Felts and Spanish professor Darcy Lear takes an innovative and proactive approach to address the public welfare concerns so commonly associated with illegal immigration.

The UNC student and professor team are studying the adaptability of municipal identification cards for undocumented residents in the Carrboro community.

The solution was inspired by a June 2008 plan from the New Haven (Conn.) Board of Aldermen, which makes identification cards available to people of all ages, regardless of immigration status.

The so-called Elm City Resident Card, which is offered to all residents of the New Haven area simultaneously functions as identification for law enforcement, a public library card, and a debit card accepted at most banks in New Haven.

According to program administrator Kica Matos, almost 6,000 people held the multi-purpose municipal identification card as of Sept. 3. The Board of Aldermen in New Haven have specifically targeted issuing them to children, college students, immigrants without legal status, and people older than 65.

For Carrboro, a community that has typically been accommodating to a sizeable immigrant population, a program like the Elm City Resident Card in Carrboro would allow immigrants to hold debit accounts, therefore not requiring them to carry all funds in cash – something that had made them easy targets for robbery in New Haven.

Municipal ID cards would remove the fear felt by illegal immigrants to seek medical attention or help from law enforcement because of the risk of discovery of immigration status and subsequent deportation.

Long-term immigration policy discussions are necessary but do little to deal with immediate public safety concerns.

The municipal ID solution might address such impending public welfare concerns associated with illegal immigration.

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