Biden administration wants to issue ID cards to illegal immigrants

The administration of US President Joe Biden is developing a new identity card for illegal immigrants, which will serve as a single base for access to immigration files and, ultimately, is accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Writes about it CNN.

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The initiative is part of the Biden administration's ongoing effort to streamline processes that have often led to confusion among immigrants in the process of removal. At the same time, the number of immigrants arriving at the US-Mexican border has been steadily increasing.

Republicans have repeatedly criticized the administration's immigration policy. The latest initiative by the Immigration Police (ICE) is also likely to draw criticism from some representatives of the Republican Party.

But officials say the card, which looks like a photo ID, will ease accountability in the immigration process.

The card, dubbed the Secure Docket Card, will contain name and nationality, as well as a QR code to access a new portal with relevant immigration information.

This portal is designed to provide individuals with an easier way to update their information and register with federal authorities as they progress through the immigration process. The card is expected to be made available to immigrants in detention, among other things.

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The card can be used as proof of identity, but cannot be used to register to vote. Only US citizens can vote. According to the official, in the future, the card can also be used at airports for travel. The TSA currently accepts some immigration documents as valid travel identification.

“The ICE Secure Docket Card (SDC) program is part of a pilot program to modernize the various forms of documentation provided by non-citizens with a uniform, verifiable, secure card. The secure card will contain a photograph, biographical identifiers and security features for the mutual benefit of the government and non-citizens, an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. — The specifics of the program are still under development, but the main goal of SDC is to improve the current, inconsistent paper forms, which often deteriorate quickly. Pending the results of the pilot project, ICE will consider further expansion."

A recent report by the House Appropriations Committee mentions the so-called ICE Secure Docket Card program and $10 million allocated for its implementation.

The report, which accompanies the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill for fiscal year 2023, describes the program as giving "non-citizens access to their immigration files and documents."

The agency plans to test the card by the end of the year, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said.

Jeremy McKinney, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), was optimistic about the card.

"If ICE is moving in a new direction where eligible non-citizens can report their status, provide information about their location and address, receive support, AILA welcomes this approach," McKinney said.

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The card will also help those on the "Alternatives to Detention" or ATD list, the DHS spokesman said. A rapidly growing number of people have been placed in ATD after being released from custody.

Migrants released from state custody are still going through immigration court proceedings to determine whether they are allowed to stay in the United States or be deported. But this process can take years and involves numerous checks with various immigration agencies.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is tracking more than 300 migrants using ATD, which could include ankle GPS monitors, phones, or an app known as SmartLINK, the official said.

According to ICE, the Secure Docket Card, among other things, will allow authorities to check whether an immigrant has been released from custody "or has been declared deported from the United States."

Immigrant rights advocates have previously argued that expanding the detention alternatives program will create new problems and raise serious privacy concerns in data collection.

While development of a comprehensive immigrant portal is still ongoing, Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst for privacy at the American Civil Liberties Union, noted that, in general, keeping personal data in one place raises risks.

“It lets the bureaucrats know more about you,” Stanley said. "It's possible on a case-by-case basis and user-friendly in some circumstances, but the devil is in the details depending on what kind of information we're talking about."

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