Great Idea!!! - But, of course, the miniscule baby step reported on below is inadequate.
Register them all first! Then we can better figure out what do about them. And better implement whatever it is we decide to do.
We can even put off figuring out what sanctions to impose on those who do not register. Fear of the unknown is a great motivator.
I report and link. You decide. - BJon
From a S F Gate .com [San Francisco] article, ID card for illegals:
Supervisor Ammiano drafting legislation for ID card for illegals [/] Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer [/] Friday, September 7, 2007
San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano is drafting legislation to create a city identification card for immigrants unable to get traditional ID cards, a move likely to anger advocates of tougher immigration enforcement. [/] The cards would be accepted by all city agencies and organizations that receive city funding. Ammiano plans to introduce the legislation within a couple of weeks. He also is trying to persuade financial institutions to allow residents to use the cards to open accounts.
"There is a large community who contribute, and there are not a lot of safeguards around their (immigration) status, their piece of mind and their ability to participate," Ammiano said, adding that the card would be available to all people living in San Francisco regardless of their immigration status. [/] San Francisco could be the first large American city to have such a card. New Haven, Conn., has such a program, and New York City is considering one.
Ammiano said the impetus for the city cards came from the immigrant community, which asked for his help. Illegal immigrants who are victims or witnesses of crime often do not report the incident because they have no identification and fear deportation. Identification also is needed for many services, such as city health care. [/] San Francisco already has a sanctuary policy for immigrants, which means no city agency, including the police, will assist the federal government to deport people. So-called sanctuary cities have become a major issue among Republican presidential candidates.
[...] Mayor Gavin Newsom has been resolute in defending San Francisco's sanctuary status, and on Thursday his spokesman said Newsom supports Ammiano's idea for a card, which could be used for libraries, golf courses, public transportation and other services. [/] "The mayor strongly believes that this identification card should be extended to all San Franciscans, regardless of their immigration status," said Nathan Ballard, the mayor's spokesman. [/] The card also would be available to homeless people who prove they live in the city through a letter from a social service agency, Ammiano said. Currently, single-room-occupancy hotels require guests to leave an identification card at the front desk to enter the premises, which has been a burden on homeless visitors, Ammiano said. [/] Elderly people, youth and transgender people who face barriers to getting identification also would benefit from the card, he said.
[...] E-mail Wyatt Buchanan at wbuchanan@sfchronicle.com. [/] This article appeared on page B - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle [My ellipses and emphasis]
Jim :) Smiling aka Brother Jonathan aka Toto Of Kansas | Link to my Blogs, Forums & Essays
