Bank of America boycott hits home

Colin Guy Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
03/15/2007

Bank of America continues to come under fire following its implementation last month of a pilot program critics say allows illegal aliens to obtain credit cards, a policy that has led at least one local business to sever its ties with the financial institution.

Kenneth W. Davis, owner of Great Western Drilling Company, told the Reporter-Telegram in a phone conversation from his Fort Worth office his company, which maintains offices in Midland and seven other cities, no longer will do business with Bank of America.

Davis' objection is based on a pilot program the company began in Los Angeles County, Calif. last month that permits customers who have had a checking account in good standing for three months to receive a credit card with a tax identification number in lieu of a Social Security number and a Matricula Consular card, which are issued by Mexican consuls, rather than a driver's license or other form of identification issued by the United States government.

"I suppose in a limited sense, the thing that concerned me was it's one more step in a series of things going on in the country that makes it easier for people here illegally to conduct business like an ordinary American citizen does," Davis said.

Davis indicated Bank of America processed millions of dollars each month in payables and receivables, business he now plans to take to one of the company's largest competitors.

Additionally, he said the charitable foundation he operates, which issues around $500,000 in grants each year, no longer will support organizations that conduct business with Bank of America.

Midland resident Kay Crawford said she, too, is pulling her accounts from Bank of America.

"I've been with them for close to a decade, but I strongly disagree with offering credit cards to illegal immigrants in this day and time of terrorism," Crawford told the Reporter-Telegram.

William Gheen, president of the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee and director of a boycott against Bank of America, told the Reporter-Telegram he has received e-mails from numerous people opposed to the bank's pilot program who have closed small bank accounts at Bank of America consisting of a few thousand dollars, as well as from several medium-sized companies. The bank stands to lose a minimum of "tens of millions of dollars," he said.

Gheen said he believes the program is intended to specifically target illegal aliens, because Mexican nationals who are in the United States legally have forms of identification other than Matricula Consular cards to verify their identity, such as passport numbers or information from green cards.

"Any bank accepting Matricula Consular cards is targeting illegal aliens," he said.

Britney Sheehan, a spokeswoman for Bank of America, disputed the allegation the financial institution is targeting illegal immigrants. She said the pilot program is intended to assist existing customers in developing a credit history by providing them with a secured credit card with a very low spending limit. She added the program is in compliance with the nation's laws, including the USA PATRIOT Act.

Section 326 of the law, which relates to regulations for the identification and verification of account holders at financial institutions, outlines a set of minimum requirements for banks. The law requires financial institutions to verify the identity of any person seeking an account "to the extent reasonable and practicable" and requires the bank to maintain records of "information used to verify a person's identity, including name, address and other identifying information." Additionally, banks must compare the name of the applicant to lists of known or suspected terrorists.

The law also requires the U.S. Treasury Department, in consultation with the appropriate federal regulators, to study issues such as how to handle foreign nationals who wish to open an account and provide suggestions to Congress.

Recommendations issued by the Treasury Department would require financial institutions to accept one or more of the following:

"A U.S. taxpayer identification number; a passport number and country of issuance; an alien identification card number; or the number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard."

This regulation would include Matricula Consular cards issued by Mexican consuls, a document that has some concerned is not reliable enough.

Gheen said the leaders of his organization have been able to obtain several forged Matricula Consular cards and indicated, ironically, members of his organization have contacted major banks in Mexico and found they would not even accept the documents for verification purposes.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) has expressed concern forged Matricula Consular cards could be used by terrorists to open bank accounts and has urged Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to look into the program, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun

Hector Raul Acosta, who heads the Mexican consulate in Presidio, told the Reporter-Telegram he is aware of no instances of fabrication of Matricula Consular cards occurring since the security features of the documents were upgraded about five years ago. He said the form of identification is one of the most trustworthy worldwide and emphasized this was not his personal opinion, but that of recognized security experts.


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