Below is a 2005 newspaper column I wrote to educate people on the Mexican government’s effort to provide photo ID to illegal aliens in the U.S. Who is the open borders/illegal alien lobby? Never overlook the banking industry.
I have added some additional information in the embedded links to further educate the reader.
By D.A. King
Marietta Daily Journal
September 23, 2005
What is green and red, includes a photograph, is needed only by illegal aliens and is issued here in the United States – 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 this country by the FBI Office of Intelligence – but is accepted by many American banks, hospitals and local and state governments?
More?
What has been labeled as an “un-reliable form of identification” by the Department of Justice, but can be used to board an airplane in America – during a war on terror?
Give up?
Answer: 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 matricula consular:
On Aug. 29, 2001, in a speech to both Houses of the U.S. Congress, President Vicente Fox of Mexico said the Mexicans who were here illegally 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 9/11, public opinion worked against the impending amnesty – er – “guest-worker” proposal for the millions of illegal aliens already here.
Following 9/11 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 last year, an estimated $20 billion this 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 American law have a valid visa, a passport – and access to a little detail called “Lawful Permanent Residency” (a “Green Card”.) All serve as valid identification.
Illegal aliens have none of these.
Shortly after 9/11, Mexico began what Marti Dinerstein of The Center for Immigration Studies describes as an “aggressive grassroots 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 Georgia. The city of Atlanta began official acceptance last year.
The Mexican government, American business and the powerful open borders – illegal alien lobby (sorry, I repeat myself) is quick to point out that 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 9/11/2001.
Feel safer?
The campaign has been wildly successful – and profitable. According to the Mexico City newspaper El Universal, as of January of this year, 4.5 million Mexicans had these ID cards and they are 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 is to have issued 6 million matriculas by the end of this year.
Because of its ease of forgery and the lack of security – not to mention fingerprinting – involved in issuing the Mexican ID, it is not accepted by most banks in Mexico and may not be used to obtain the federally issued Mexican voter ID – or state issued Mexican driver’s licenses.
American police report that 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. accept the matricula as valid ID to issue an American driver’s license, thereby eliminating the need for the matricula.
Handy, si?
How hard to get is the Mexican matricula consular? Ask to see one of mine.
Why is it accepted in the United States?
Follow the money.
