Monday, March 15, 2010

Are National ID cards the way to go?

From the Wall Street Journal:

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill are proposing a new national biometric ID card that would be required of all U.S. workers. WSJ's Laura Meckler explains the proposal and the objections from privacy advocates.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.

The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.

"It's the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking," Mr. Schumer said in an interview. The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive. "If you say they can't get a job when they come here, you'll stop it."

The biggest objections to the biometric cards may come from privacy advocates, who fear they would become de facto national ID cards that enable the government to track citizens.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

While this will prevent legit businesses from accidentally hiring illegals, it will not do anything to combat the bigger problem of enterprises which knowingly hire illegals.

Anonymous said...

There are two types of businesses which knowingly hire illegals: all cash businesses (like landscapers and contractors), they will not be deterred, however, there are also those businesses which help illegals to obtain fraudulent papers as they are too big to run all cash (like that chicken factory in Iowa a few years back).

Anonymous said...

Corporations need to be fined if they hire illegals. The city and state can use the money. When you hit the employer in the pocket, you get results. As for the National ID card -- who will pay for it? What about the ones that don't work? Wouldn't it be easier to deny medical benefits to illegals? Cut off their housing and food stamps too.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't our government enforce our immigration laws. The government lets them all in. Secure our borders and enforce our laws.

Anonymous said...

Big Brother is watching YOU!!!!

Anonymous said...

A social security number was issued for one purpose - to identify a person and their eligibility of social security benefits. Now our soc sec number is just another identifier to let us burp. Stop illegals at the borders and shut the fark up!!!!

Anonymous said...

We have them; they're called Social Security Cards. Use them for that purpose and problem solved!

Anonymous said...

This is the single best way to accomplish many identity issues without compromising or vulnerability to identity theft.

Imagine no longer carrying a birth certificate, draft card, passport or drivers license or giving out your SS to every smuck who can then ruin your life.

If you are a legal alien and citizen you then can receive benefits ahead of others who don't. A prospective employer would find this ID arrangement simple to use. The card can be used to ease travel security passage on trains, buses and of course plane travel.

If you are illegal - you are out of luck.

Anonymous said...

So ridiculous. Next they'll put a chip in everyone's head like the vet does to a dog for ID. Just secure our borders already and deport people that don't belong there. If you want to create jobs, hire people that will accomplish this. As for the bonus babies, they get deported too.

Lino said...

" anon" said: "A prospective employer would find this ID arrangement simple to use. The card can be used to ease travel security passage on trains, buses and of course plane travel.
If you are illegal - you are out of luck."

Stupid idea. There is -no- form of ID that can not be forged IF the value is high enough.

I am not surprised that people would be fooled by this idea but it is just another excuse for police to arrest you and frankly un-American.

Auntie Invasion said...

I agree with Lino.
they put that crap in place about fifteen years ago where you have to provide all this id to an employer. who did it wind up hurting? American citizens.

enforce the laws already.

stop with the government benefits for illegal aliens, stop enabling them to cash in on the backs of their jack pot babies and old people.

then they will no longer come here.

how about we ship all our homeless and underemployed to China, Peru, Mexico, Bengla Desh, the Philippines, Pakistan. See how much help our disenfranchised will get from these countries.

Anonymous said...

how come in 1989 in San Diego the cops came onto city buses to grab illegals and get rid of them?

every thing the stupid gov't does now is to take real Americans' liberty away.

fuck the illegals - one of them had the nerve to wave an American's cigarette smoke away the other day while he was on his JOB delivering pizza.

Anonymous said...

Papieren bitte.

Anonymous said...

if all illegal aliens were kept out of the U.S.A.,who would bicycle deliver LINO,the liberal's food to E.125 street(u.e.s.) ?

Anonymous said...

Any one that thinks this is about immigration please step to the front of the line so we can smack you're stupid face.

Anonymous said...

am not surprised that people would be fooled by this idea but it is just another excuse for police to arrest you and frankly un-American.

Well I want enforcement of immigration laws or laws that punish those who back-door legalize these folks like NYS DMV who issue NYS licenses or Banks that open accounts for these folks, or those who sell dead peoples SS to these illegals folks. How about all the folks who evade taxes by hiring illegals but still charge you full freight!

Ridgewoodian said...

This may or may not be a good idea, I don't know. Most of us already carry some kind of state issued ID - drivers licenses in most cases. Most people don't seem to have a problem with that but why we should trust state governments any more than the federal I don't know. And why proving one's identity is so often tied in with being allowed to drive, I don't know. But what I DO know, what I'd wager large sums of money on, is that this idea isn't going to happen anytime soon, if ever.

Mrs. Corniche-Bois Le Merde said...

Really,
It might not be so
Divisive. Some may
Gladly
Embrace such a
Wide reaching,
Odious,
Or
Deviant,
Insipid,
And
Noxious government intrustion into our lives.....

But,
Lovers of liberty,
Only
Want the
State out of our damn lives!

Deke DaSilva said...

This may or may not be a good idea, I don't know.......why we should trust state governments any more than the federal I don't know........ And why proving one's identity is so often tied in with being allowed to drive, I don't know......... But what I DO know....

Speaking of a guy who talks with self-assured authority on a topic, here's Ridgewoodian! HA!

Here's the translation of what he said in plain English:

Ridgwoodian's comments, circa 2004, U.S. President - George W. Bush:

"National ID Card? No freaking way! This is total BS, Orwellian, fascist, authoritarian - a descent into Hitlerian, Nazi-like totalitarianism and right-wing demagoguery!!! I'm worried at the direction our country is heading!!!!"

Ridgewoodian's comments, Present Day 2010, U.S. President - Barrack Hussein Obama -

"Well, I don't know, but I'm not sure, what do I know?....BUT, what I DO know, is that I don't know, but if I did know, I do know that MY guy - Barrack Hussein Obama is President, so I'm going to waffle on this issue, and not say anything definitive about it, until I've had time to study it, and review the options, formulate a research group, consider it, look into it, ponder it, pontificate on it, cogitate, coagulate, masticate......."