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Immigrant identity cards under fire
A senator wants to stop state agencies from accepting Mexican consulate-issued cards used in daily business.

Ashima Singal | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 13, 2005



A state senator from Melbourne hopes to curb use of identification cards issued to illegal immigrants by their foreign consulate, but thousands of people in Florida will continue using the cards to cash paychecks, open bank accounts and pay utility bills.

The measure filed by Sen. Mike Haridopolos would prevent state agencies from accepting the matricula consular, a card issued mostly to undocumented Mexican nationals. It would have no authority, however, over financial institutions that are regulated by the federal government.

His legislation is part of a national debate on how secure and justifiable the card is. Government and law enforcement agencies say the ID is easily forged, while financial institutions embrace it as a way to tap into the huge spending and investment power of immigrants.

Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, said the card is a gateway for illegal immigrants because they can't easily obtain any other American ID. More than 4.7 million matriculas have been issued since 2000. The Mexican consulate in Orlando, which serves Central and North Florida, issues about 19,000 cards annually.

"The biggest thing that we're trying to do is to send a message to those who come to America illegally to gain citizenship through the back door," Haridopolos said. "The green light is not open here in Florida for illegal immigration."

There are more than 850,000 illegal immigrants in Florida and about 10 million nationwide. Many of them depend on the cards to identify themselves, said Alonso Ramirez as he was waiting in line at the Mexican Consulate on Wednesday.

"The ID is important for day-to-day business. It says 'I'm a Mexican citizen,' " Ramirez said. "It should be recognized since it's from the Mexican Consulate."

Major financial institutions, such as Bank of America and SunTrust Banks, said the card is secure enough to be a primary form of identification and can be used to set up a bank account -- even though the U.S. Treasury Department will not endorse the card. At SunTrust, the ID can be used to help a borrower take out a mortgage, said Hugh Suhr, a bank spokesman.

"The ID features exceed those of the . . . DMV [Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles]," said Diane Wagner, spokeswoman for Bank of America. The Mexican Consulate has a centralized database, whereas each state in the United States has its own database, she said.

Recent figures estimate that about $30 billion will be sent by Latin American immigrants to their country of origin.

Amscot Financial accepts the cards for customers who want a check cashed, a pay-day-advance loan, or want to wire money, but typically only for transactions less than $300, said Ian MacKechnie, executive vice president of the company.

The matricula is convenient to carry around, said Bonifacio Dominguez as he was filling out a form at the Mexican Consulate on Wednesday.

"It's not as important as a passport, but the passport is bigger," Dominguez said. "I need the card for a police report."

Since the card allows undocumented workers to put their earnings in the bank instead of carrying all of it in cash, the ID may prevent immigrants from being easy robbery targets, said Mexican Consul Jaime Paz y Puente. Two years ago in Sanford, an undocumented Mexican immigrant was beaten to death after he cashed a $400 paycheck and put it in his wallet.

There are also anecdotal stories of illegal immigrants being robbed, but fearing deportation, they usually don't tell police.

Critics of the matricula need to remember the card only identifies a person and does not allow access to government services, nor does it legalize their status, Paz y Puente said.

"I don't know why a document that conforms with international standards can't be accepted," Paz y Puente said. "The confusing thing is the document is just an ID. It doesn't give a right to drive or a right to stay."

The Mexican consulate has been aggressively pushing for government agencies to accept the card, but most governments, including Central Florida law agencies, are more cautious about endorsing their use.

Any ID is better than none, but police treat the card with suspicion, said Kissimmee police Lt. Warren Shepard.

"We would prefer people have a type of identification in medical emergency or accident," Shepard said. "It's an easily forged identification. It's better than nothing."

The White House has also supported use of the cards, despite FBI testimony before Congress in 2003 that they are not secure. Terrorists and criminals who want to launder money or enter the country illegally could create false identities through the matricula since the ID is vulnerable to forgery, officials say.

The card was redesigned in 2002 to include more security features such as holograms and digital signatures, according to the Mexican Consulate. In February, the consulate started collecting cardholders' fingerprints and digitally stores that data.

The matricula is accepted as a valid form of identification at airports, said Lauren Stover, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman.

"A photo ID will not prevent a threat from being introduced," Stover said. "The terrorists of 9-11 all had valid IDs."