Oregon to accept Mexican ID cards to drive

Last week, on May Day, Oregon weakened its stance regarding illegal immigrants driving on the state’s highways. Just four years ago Oregon lawmakers voted for strong driver’s license requirements that prevented those in the country illegally from obtaining or renewing state driving licenses. However, in a bold move, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (D), declared that law enforcement officers can accept Matricula Consular ID cards issued by the Mexican government as proof of identity during traffic stops, according to FAIR. (Associated Press, May 2, 2012). The change also absolves illegal immigrants from the $60 fee legal Oregonians must pay to obtain a driver license. Governor Kitzhaber, dismisses the fact that illegal immigrants have already violated federal and state immigration laws by driving unlicensed and claims the change will only allow police to accurately identify illegal aliens during traffic stops. (See Gov. Kitzhaber Letter, May 1, 2012) Advertisement “Mexican Matricula Consular cards are highly susceptible to fraud. The Mexican government issues them to Mexican nationals residing outside of Mexico, regardless of their immigration status. The Mexican government has no centralized database to coordinate the issuance of the ID cards, and multiple cards can easily be obtained under the same name and address, or with the same photograph, making it easy to establish false identities,” according to FBI testimony in June 2003. The FBI states that Mexican ID cards are "not a reliable form of identification" and pose significant risks to national security. “Having a Matricula Consular ID makes it easier for illegal aliens to move about the country, avoid triggering watch-lists, conceal identities from law enforcement, facilitate human trafficking and smuggling and establish bank accounts to wire money outside the United States, according to FAIR. Despite the FBI warnings, on May Day Governor Kitzhaber announced his states’ intention to allow illegals to “come out of the shadows and contribute to [Oregon’s] economic recovery.” Conversely, his softened stance on illegal immigrant driving privileges failed to warn Oregonians of the fraud that comes along with recognizing Mexican IDs. Kitzhaber even suggested that his administration would be open to changing the state’s tough driver’s license laws. For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak © Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.