Feds caving in to illegals?

The head of the congressional Immigration Reform Caucus has called on the Bush administration to investigate the Department of Treasury's endorsement of a semi-official identification card being issued by Mexican consulates in the United States.

The IDs, called "matricula consular" cards, are being issued by Mexican consulates in the U.S. to Mexican citizens residing here illegally, says Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., to provide them a legitimacy to which they are not entitled. Further, Tancredo says, acceptance of the cards is a possible violation of law, but is set to increase nonetheless under new Treasury Department rules.

"I am deeply troubled by the apparent acquiescence by the White House and the Department of Homeland Security in the Treasury Department's actions in failing to execute the Patriot Act," Tancredo said during a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

Treasury's new regulations are set to take effect May 30 and include language that allows financial institutions to accept consular identification cards issued by foreign governments, including the Mexican matricula consular card. Some states and banking institutions already accept the cards as legitimate identification.

But, said the Colorado Republican, the new rules will "send a dangerous message about immigration enforcement and appear indifferent to a potential threat to our national security."

"Since only illegal aliens would need to carry such cards for identification purposes, or need them to open bank accounts, the regulations indicate the Treasury Department is out of step with the American people and A.W.O.L. in the battle to stem the epidemic of illegal immigration," he said.

The department published its regulations April 30.

Meanwhile. Mexican officials have intensely lobbied U.S. counterparts to ease immigration rules that would allow the estimated 8-10 million illegal aliens currently in the United States to remain here legally. Mexican President Vicente Fox, upon ascending to power three years ago, pledged to secure changes in U.S. immigration law for his people living and working in the U.S., but since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the United States has been cool to relaxing border restrictions. Now, critics say, Mexican officials are using the matricula consular card as a way around the lack of progress on getting U.S. immigration rules changed – and it's working.

"Actions by numerous states to grant driver's licenses and in-state tuition to illegal aliens, as well as increasing acceptance of the Mexican consular card as a valid form of identification, represent an insidious yet serious threat to homeland security," said Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "These actions will both undermine Congress' primacy over immigration policy and unleash a new wave of illegal immigration."

Frank Gaffney, president of the Security Policy Council, said the consular cards "and similar means of credentialing illegal immigrants … represent serious threats to U.S. national security."

Continued Gaffney: "Vital efforts now under way to tighten up on those seeking entry to the country via our 'front doors' – our visa process and controlled points of entry – are doomed to fail, possibly dangerously so, if we allow foreign governments and counterfeiters to give those who manage to get in illegally the benefits and freedom of action associated with legal status."

Tancredo said Treasury's new regulations "do not accurately reflect" the intent of the USA Patriot Act.

Specifically, he said, the act requires that banks and other financial institutions implement procedures to verify the identity of customers opening accounts, maintain records of the information used to verify identity, and determine whether the customer appears on lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. The matricula consular cards do not necessarily facilitate this information because, critics say, it is easy for an illegal alien to provide a false identity when applying for the card itself.

That means, Tancredo said, the government's ability to track money laundering, potential terrorists or other criminal behavior will be severely limited.

"In short, the regulations run directly counter to the intent of Congress in approving the [act]," he said.

States such as California and Florida, where there are large Hispanic populations, are widely accepting the cards.

"Florida law states that the matricula is accepted as a secondary form of ID along with (another) one of the required documents," Alia Faraj, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's spokeswoman, told the Bonita Daily News. "The governor expects all the residents of our state and visitors to abide by Florida's laws."

Earlier this month, the California Assembly passed a bill that allows use of the matricula consular cards for identification with state, city and county government agencies, as well as banks and other private institutions. The state Senate has yet to vote on the measure.

Conversely, the Colorado House voted May 1 to approve restrictions on use of the cards and also denied in-state college tuition rates for non-U.S. citizens. Gov. Bill Owens was expected to sign the bill.

The card allows travel back to a person's homeland, costs $28 and, once issued, is valid for five years.

Tancredo said the problem could get worse. He said other nations – including Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Poland – are also considering issuing such cards via their consulates and embassies in the U.S.

"Are we ready to cope with the potential security issued posed by 'consular ID cards' issued by the governments of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt or China?" said the Colorado Republican.

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