[JustPiper]

U.S. Treasury Department Gives Green Light to Unregulated Acceptance of Foreign Identification Documents

On September 25, the U.S. Treasury Department gave banks the green light to unregulated acceptance of foreign identification documents, such as the highly controversial and easily counterfeited Mexican matricula consular card. In an unprecedented move, Treasury had reopened the public comment period for regulations it had already finalized in May allowing banks to accept foreign government-issued consular cards. Unfortunately, after reviewing more than 34,000 comments, Treasury recommended no changes to the rules. Treasury rejected the idea of developing an official blacklist of foreign documents that financial institutions could not accept when opening new accounts for non-U.S. citizens. Treasury also rejected recommendations to require financial institutions to retain photocopies of identification documents used to verify customers’ identities.

[JustPiper]

Lawmakers Introduce Companion Farm Worker Amnesty Legislation

On September 23, Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Chris Cannon (R-UT) and Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced companion farm worker amnesty bills S.1645 and H.R. 3142. “The Agricultural Job, Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003” (AgJOBS) provides an amnesty for illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouses and children. The bill also expands the H-2A agricultural guestworker program. A broad coalition consisting of labor unions, agribusiness, the hospitality industry, the immigration law bar, and the usual supporters among open borders and illegal alien advocacy groups have aligned themselves in support of the legislation.

FAIR opposes this legislation and all other attempts to reward illegal aliens with amnesty. Please read our action alert to learn how you can help defeat this pro-illegal alien legislation.