Carrboro NC: IDs are creative solution for immigrant needs

[usatime]

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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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http://www.dailytarheel.com/opinion/ope ... rant_needs

[crazybird]

I swear......NC can't get enough of illegals can they? By hook or crook they want to pander to them.

[bordersoldier]

Wait til the illegals start flocking there like buzzards on a dead carcus.

[vortex]

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.

Perhaps I am just too old, but children that I know have never been required to carry any ID. They just need to know their name, what school they go to and their home phone number. Why would kids be out alone without being under the supervision of an adult? This makes me insane!

[crazybird]

Perhaps I am just too old, but children that I know have never been required to carry any ID.

It was never that way for me either......but yes, in many schools, atleast high school around here......you have an ID and it has to be shown at school at all times or to get into any school functions etc. They are like work IDs alot of people have except it doesn't double as a time card. They are making fashionable things to attach them to with school names and stuff like that. You can't carry it in your wallet or anything....it has to be clipped on you or at the least, your backpack in full view. Has a picture and all.......

[butterbean]

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.

Whatever happened to obeying the law? THIS STUPID ID CARD SAY "ITS OKAY TO BE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN". "ITS OKAY TO SHOW YOUR ID CARD AND GET A LIBRARY CARD AND DO SOME BANKING".

HOW IN THE HELL CAN "LAW ENFORCEMENT" ACCEPT THIS BOGUS RESIDENT CARD? WHY NOT SEND IN THE "WELCOME WAGON" FOLKS TOO?

[vmonkey56]

Poor North Carolina Citizens.... Old money, landlords, and big businesses ruining North Carolina and all level of governments don't care.

They say they are E-Verifying new hires that do business with the government through contractor.

Businesses get to use our State Unemployment Offices to collection the I-9s on immigrants (legal or illegal?) but never verified to see if authorized to work in the United States. They only check I-9s of the agricultural workers.

I guess that farmer need to know he is not hiring Americans?

And Americans cannot find work; but the State Unemployment Offices is doing the immigrant I-9s for businesses without E-Verifying. My question is? Is this displacing North Carolina Workers/American Citizens?

The Attorney General says people can file EEOC cases. That is the states answer. So North Carolina Citizens all who have been turn down for a job find to start complaining. Don't the government have NC people dumbed down to think they can do nothing.