Matricula Consular cards: A boost for security

Palm Beach Post ^ | January 28, 2003 | editorial

[lonewacko_dot_com]

This Palm Beach Post Editorial says that the Matricula Consular cards are a boost for security:

No government in Florida has recognized the card. In September, the Lake Worth City Commission voted 3-1 against the cards. Many of the state's Mexican-American leaders, among them state Rep. Susan Bucher, D-Lantana, are working closely with the Mexican Consulate -- a meeting took place Saturday -- to win approval from cities and counties. One of the worst arguments used against recognition is that the cards compromise security. In fact, they do the opposite by creating a registry of Mexican nationals who are living here.

However, the GSA has currently barred the use of the cards:

Last week, a dozen House members questioned the propriety of the cards, saying in a letter to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell that Mexico had undertaken "a massive lobbying effort" to persuade local authorities to accept the cards for identification purposes.

"While the issuance of national identification cards is nothing new, providing them with the express purpose of evading U.S. law is something entirely different," the lawmakers said. "The active lobbying of local and state governments by consuls of foreign countries is, at least, a breach of international protocol deserving of a serious response by our government."

For some background, here's a long, footnoted article about all the downsides of the MC cards: http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/back303.html

You can send the Palm Beach Post a letter to the editor here, and a list of their editors' email addresses is here.

[ancient_geezer]

This Palm Beach Post Editorial says that the Matricula Consular cards are a boost for security:

Actually this is true, they provide prima-facie evidence that the holder is an illegal alien. Lacking visa or other documentation suporting legal status the holder would be subject to an immediate deportation hearing.

I'd say encourage their issue. Makes it easier to track em down, and boot em out.

[sarasmom]

bttt