The Biden administration is gearing up to distribute thousands of identification cards to migrants in the upcoming weeks, marking a significant step in revamping the documentation provided to undocumented individuals by US government agencies.
According to a report from Fox News, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to initiate a “limited rollout” of its Secure Docket Card program this summer, with plans to distribute approximately 10,000 ID cards across up to four US cities. Sources have indicated that Houston and Atlanta are among the potential locations for the program’s implementation.
“While the specifics of the card and pilot are under development, it is important to note the secure card will not be an official form of federal identification,” ICE told Fox.
“The secure card will indicate it is for use by DHS agencies and would be provided only after national security background checks have been performed.”
The initiative, aimed at “modernizing” the documentation process for certain noncitizens, is intended exclusively for use by Department of Homeland Security agencies, including ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Typically, migrants who cross the border unlawfully receive paper documents outlining their status and upcoming immigration court appearances before being released into the country. ICE asserts that paper documents pose security risks, are inefficient, and are susceptible to loss or deterioration over time. This is the rationale for the “necessity” of ID cards.
The pilot program’s distribution of 10,000 cards would encompass less than 1% of the total number of migrants who have entered the country since 2021.
Last year, a group of Republican House lawmakers proposed legislation to thwart the initiative. They argued that providing ID cards would exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration into the US.
“Just in time for the election, the Biden administration is quietly legitimizing a government-sanctioned invasion of our nation,” RJ Hauman of The Heritage Foundation said to Fox.
“Providing illegal aliens with identification will undoubtedly lead to obtaining other documents, benefits and rights — or create an entirely new identity. After all, most who cross the border have no identification information in their possession. So, how do we even know who they are?”