IDs for Illegals: Mexico's 'Matricula Consular' Facilitates Illegal Immigration

WASHINGTON (January 28, 2003) -- "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

These are the words of a top official in Mexico's foreign ministry, describing his government's piecemeal approach to securing an amnesty for the 3 to 5 million Mexican illegal aliens in the United States, a strategy adopted in the wake of the new security environment in the U.S. after 9/11. The foremost tool in this strategy is the "matricula consular," or consular registration card, that Mexico hopes will be accepted by governments and businesses across the United States, giving illegal aliens legitimate ID to present law enforcement and to open bank accounts, among other uses, thus helping bring about a de facto amnesty.

The Center for Immigration Studies has published the first in-depth examination of the matricula consular and the role it plays in Mexico's attempt to shape U.S. immigration policy: "IDs for Illegals: The 'Matricula Consular' Advances Mexico's Immigration Agenda," by Marti Dinerstein, a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and President of Immigration Matters.

* The matricula consular is useful in the United States only for illegal aliens, because legal immigrants, by definition, have U.S. government-issued documents.

* The Mexican government has launched an aggressive grassroots lobbying campaign to win acceptance for the matricula from state and local jurisdictions and from American banks, especially in areas where Mexican illegal aliens are concentrated.

* The U.S. Treasury Department has given its explicit approval to banks to accept the matricula for opening bank accounts.

* While many jurisdictions have resisted pressure from the Mexican government to accept the matricula, others have not; it is now accepted by 800 local law enforcement agencies and 74 banks, as well as 13 states for purposes of obtaining a driver's license.

"Mexico's marketing of its consular cards is a direct challenge to U.S. sovereignty," Dinerstein said. "By aggressively lobbying state and local governments to accept them, Mexico is changing America's de facto immigration policy in lieu of congressional action. And it has been doing so while the U.S. government watched -- or even gave its consent."

* Not only does the matricula subvert U.S. immigration law, it is not even a secure identity document. Mexico is not authenticating the documents used to obtain the matricula against computerized data files in Mexico.

* Safeguards are not in place to prevent issuance of matriculas to the same individual; the INS has already reported finding multiple cards in different names issued to the same person.

* The matricula is becoming a shield that hides criminal activity, for two reasons: first, the holder's identity was not verified when the card was issued and second, police in jurisdictions that accept the matricula are less likely to run background checks on card holders picked up for minor infractions.

* The acceptance of Mexico's matricula consular sets a precedent, making it almost impossible to reject similar cards presented by illegal aliens from other countries, including those which have sent terrorists to the United States in the past.

The integrity of the matricula received fresh consideration just last week, when the U.S. General Services Administration suspended a pilot program in which a federal building in San Francisco accepted the matricula consular as valid identification to enter the building to access services. Additionally, in a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell earlier this month, 12 members of Congress questioned the spread of the card and called the lobbying by foreign consulates "a breach of international protocol deserving of a serious response by our government."

It is time for the Feds to come up to the plate and bitch-slap states and localities who facilitate illegal immigration. Immigration is a national issue. We should start by having congress mandate population adjustments (along with congressional seats, federal goodies and everything else which goes with larger populations). Think it can't be done? Start by counting the number of illegal aliens in prisons. If, for example, illegal aliens make up 14% of California's jailbirds, then adjust California's population down by 14% according to the areas where they were arrested for crimes.

A key incentive NOT to cooperate with Federal immigration laws would thereby be removed.

U.S. Constitution: "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress,...enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power,..."

Section 10 - Powers prohibited of States

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

My bigest grip about this crap is that it is fully support by vincente fox and co....The Mexican Government is trying to subvert US immigration law with this stunt. Here in Arizona it is being considered as well as I am sure California and Texas. The cannot get the Feds to but into so the are trying the divide and conquer method. I really question what Mexico's motive is behind this. a few thoughts come to mind:

1.) Mexico is trying to dump all its poor on to the US so they don't have to become a welfare state. (plausible, but unlikely...)
2.)The Mexican Government is its quest for greed openly supports and encourages the activities of the Illegals with programs like this because the money that is made up here they know will return to Mexico to the families there, which I am sure the government takes a nice chunk of. (what a benevolent state, economically enslaving your own people /sarcasm off)
3.)The Mexican government is doing this for the good of all Mexicans so that they can prosper and raise Mexico from its third world country status. (truly I believe that the Mexican government doesn't care they just want the money that comes back south of the border.)

There are thousands of other explanations that I am sure that could be given, but when the Mexican government openly states that the money that the Illegals return back across the border accounts for the 2nd largest product of their GDP. I see this as nothing else the Mexico trying to become a welfare state of the US. I also think like the current welfare that we have here in the US. That the line needs to be cut. If you are in this country illegally you have no rights... I don't care what the whining weasel democrats want to say. I feel the employers who knowingly employ illegal alien should be fined, as cruel as it sounds medical and police and fire service... If you are not a citizen sorry no free medical for you. (I know, I know..... you all can jump me for being an uncaring human about that statement.) If you get caught in this country Illegally the first time: arrest, warning, deportation. 2nd time: arrest, prison time, deportation. 3rd time: If you haven't learned by now how to come into the country legally.... Execution. As country we will die if we continue to act as a welfare money bag for the rest of the world. If we continue to support illegal aliens and let immigrant come over and sit on welfare for 10 years. That is all our tax dollars will ever go too... From my point of view that is...

I am the Grandson of an immigrant from Ireland. someone who came to this country the proper way. I have no problem with any immigrant regardless of race our country of origin, as long as the come thru legally. even if it means you have to wait several years, my grandfather did. but I no longer have any tolerance for those that think they can use the USA as world ATM get the money and leave type people.

thanks again for the rant space.

Bank of America, Wells Fargo and CitiBanks are spending millions, buying the best politicians they can, to support the matricular phony consular ID cards. They have gotten the Justice Department to recognize them as legal IDs. This phony ID opens up the market for US banks to charge fees to handle remittances-- which leave the country at a rate of about $35 billion a year.

You see, to these corporations, nations mean nothing and they are only interested in the leverage against their global competitors they can purchase from our politicians in Washington.

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