Documenting the undocumented
By D.A. King, Washington Times, March 26, 2006
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060325-094731-8011r.htm
What is green and red, includes a photograph, is needed only by illegal aliens and is issued here in the U.S. -- by a foreign government?
No idea? A hint -- it's a photo ID card.
More clues.
What is printed in Spanish, is deemed to be a "criminal threat" and a "potential terror threat" to the U.S. by the FBI Office of Intelligence -- but is accepted by many American banks and local and state governments?
More?
What has been labeled as an "unreliable form of identification" by the U.S. Department of Justice, but can be used to board an airplane in America... amidst a War on Terror? (www.fbi.gov/congress/congress03/mccraw062603.htm)
Give up?
It's a Mexican "matricula consular" photo identification card.
Don't feel bad if you didn't know the answer: Most Americans haven't a clue what a matricula consular is either. That is not an accident.
A brief history and some insight into the little-known Mexican government issued matricula consular:
On Aug. 29, 2001, in a speech to both Houses of the U.S. Congress, Mexico's President Vicente Fox said the Mexicans illegally present in the U.S. at the time were "entitled to legalized status" and later demanded that President Bush "solve the problem before the year ends".
Even before the horror of September 11, 2001, vocal public opinion worked against the impending amnesty -- er, "guest-worker" -- proposal for millions of illegal aliens already here.
Following September 11, and because of the resulting now obvious Homeland Security issues, the plan to repeat the "one-time amnesty" of 1986 and "legalize" the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. was taken off the table.
Several other things however, did not change.
Here, the unrelenting demand from "willing employers" for taxpayer subsidized labor continued -- as did the craving of American banks for the highly profitable business of the enormous illegal alien market.
In Mexico, the demand for the billions of U. S. dollars sent home by the "migrants" -- "remittances" (more than $16 billion in 2004, an estimated $20 billion last year) -- also remained unchanged. Remittances are now the single largest source of revenue for Mexico -- larger than Pemex, the state-owned oil company, and foreign investment and tourism.
Real, legal immigrants who have entered the United States according to U.S. law have a valid visa, a passport and access to a little detail called "Lawful Permanent Residency" (a Green Card). All serve as valid and authentic identification. Illegal aliens have none of these.
Shortly after September 11, Mexico began what the Center for Immigration Studies' Marti Dinerstein describes as an "aggressive grass-roots lobbying campaign to win acceptance for [the matricula consular] at the local and state level, especially in areas where large numbers of Mexicans resided."
Like my home of Georgia, which I have taken to calling "Georgiafornia."
The Mexican government, American business and the powerful open borders/illegal alien lobby (sorry, I repeat myself) are quick to point out possession of the matricula consular does not reflect immigration status. Indeed.
Make no mistake, issuing -- and accepting -- the matricula consular encourages and accommodates illegal immigration.
Illegal immigration has actually increased since September 11, 2001. Feel safer?
The campaign has been wildly successful -- and profitable. According to the Mexico City newspaper El Universal, as of January of last year, 4.5 million Mexicans had these ID cards, and this form of identification is accepted in 386 cities, 164 counties and 338 financial institutions in our republic.
What should logically represent probable cause instead becomes instant documentation and "stealth amnesty" for the previously "undocumented migrants."
Mexico's stated goal was to have issued 6 million matriculas by the end of last year. The office of the Mexican Consul General here in Atlanta boasts it issued 40,000 matriculas last year.
Because of it is easily forged and lacks security -- not to mention fingerprinting -- the Mexican ID is not accepted by most banks in Mexico and may not be used to obtain the federally issued Mexican photo voter ID or a state-issued Mexican driver's license. American police report it is not uncommon to come across people in possession of multiple matricula consulars... all with different names.
Blockbuster Video does not accept the matricula consular to open an account to rent a DVD.
Ten states in the U.S. do accept the matricula as valid ID to issue an American driver's license... thereby eliminating the need for the matricula.
Handy... si?
How secure is the Mexican matricula consular? Ask to see one of mine.
Why is it accepted in the United States? Follow the money.
D.A. KING
Columnist
Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal
President of The Dustin Inman Society, a Georgia-based coalition of citizens with the goal of educating the public on the consequences of illegal immigration.
On the Web: (http://www.TheDustinInmanSociety.org)
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