Editorial: Consular ID cards should be accepted

Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003 | 8:45 a.m.

Since a Mexican consulate was opened in Las Vegas 18 months ago, 40,000 identification cards have been issued to people who have shown proof that they live in Southern Nevada but were born in Mexico. Nationwide, 1.5 million Mexican nationals have received consular ID cards for use in this country. The cards are important for the bearers because they allow them to open bank accounts and otherwise identify themselves when necessary. Equally important for the bearer is that the cards are issued without regard to their residency status.

Now the U.S. Treasury Department, in the interest of national security, is questioning the primary use of the cards, which is for banking. For an account to be opened, most banks require only the card and cash. The accounts allow Mexican citizens to inexpensively and conveniently send money -- totaling about $10 billion a year -- home to their families. Critics say the cards are the "first step toward amnesty" for undocumented immigrants. They also fear the cards represent a security threat because they are widely accepted by police agencies. Anyone here illegally need only show the card to avoid prolonged scrutiny, critics say.

While we share some concern about security -- all documentation, including driver's licenses, Social Security cards and birth certificates, are vulnerable to fraud -- we support their acceptance as proof of identification by public agencies and banks. Metro Police officers have reviewed the procedures used to issue the cards in Las Vegas and the cards are embedded with codes to protect against counterfeiting. The alternative -- not recognizing the cards and totally ostracizing undocumented immigrants -- would be an unjustifiably harsh policy toward people who for decades have worked alongside us, not against us.