LA ID Cards will Now Function as Debit Cards for Illegal Immigrants

Los Angeles will become the first US city to offer identification cards to undocumented immigrants. These new photo ID cards may be used by the undocumented immigrants to obtain various services offered by the city. These library cards will benefit undocumented immigrants who do not have proper immigration documents and the holder's name and address will be printed on the card.

Undocumented immigrants need not live in shadows anymore and they can now come out of their shadows and get access to various services. However, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, says that these cards may be used as ID cards but they may not replace the driver's licenses and the state IDs of California.

New Haven was the first city to grant ID cards to undocumented immigrants in the year 2007. Similarly, many other cities like San Francisco and Oakland, followed this and issued ID cards to undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants may use the library cards issued by Los Angeles, as prepaid debit cards.

That is because undocumented immigrants do not keep money in the banks and most of them are unable to open bank accounts as they do not have proper documents. As they do not have bank accounts, they are forced to carry large sums of money with them and most of them unable to keep their money safe are becoming victims of robbery.

Antonio Bernabe says that these Los Angeles ID cards mean a lot to the undocumented immigrants who had been living in shadows, all these days. This ID card plan has drawn the attention of immigrant-rights activists and business owners, and they also want the City Council to implement the ID card plan.

Though this plan is supported by many, there are few people who are against this plan. A spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Ira Mehlman, said that if the undocumented immigrants are issued ID cards, the government may not be able to track their actual identities.

Earlier, Los Angeles stopped seizing the vehicles of people who did not have their driver's licenses and many undocumented immigrants were also permitted to keep their vehicles. Following that, the police chief said that the undocumented immigrants may not be charged or penalized for petty offenses.

Similarly the police chief also announced that such undocumented immigrants may not be handed over to the US immigration officials for deportation. Now these library cards will permit the undocumented immigrants to remain in the city and will also protect them from deportation. These cards will allow the undocumented immigrants to deposit money in the banks and to open new bank accounts. Hence, these cards will help them in many ways.