A small town in the northeast of the country has become the first in the USA to pass a law introducing special identity cards (ID cards) for illegal immigrants starting July 2007, which will allow them to partially 'legalize.' The document, similar to a driver's license and costing $10, will help an illegal immigrant open a bank account, visit a doctor, buy a car, enroll a child in school, and use other services that were previously unavailable to them. The most interesting thing is that an illegal immigrant who comes to the local police station to obtain the new document does not risk being arrested and sent back to their home country.
The law was passed by the authorities of New Haven – a city with a population of 125,000 known for being home to the famous Yale University. But now it has become famous not only for hosting a prestigious educational institution, but also for the city authorities' decision to provide administrative and tax assistance to illegal immigrants and significantly simplify their lives. 'This decision reflects the level of tolerance in our city,' says one of the initiators of the law, Mayor John DeStefano. 'The key to success lies in the joint diligent work of all New Haven residents.'
Supporters of the innovation argue that this law will help protect the rights of about 15,000 illegal immigrants in the city. For instance, the introduction of identity cards for illegal immigrants will help them avoid robberies, which have increased recently. The point is that illegal immigrants, having gained the right to open a bank account, will no longer be forced to carry large sums of cash in their pockets. That is why the passage of this law has brought relief to many thousands of illegal immigrants in the city.
Yale Law School professor Michael Wishnie also approves of the municipal authorities' decision. In his opinion, 'identity cards for illegal immigrants will help undocumented immigrants participate more actively in the city's political life.' However, the professor doubts that the US federal government will agree to apply New Haven's experience on a nationwide scale.
However, the innovation has many fierce opponents. For example, Steven Camarota, director of the Center for Immigration Studies (an organization that advocates for stricter immigration laws), believes that the law introducing ID cards for illegal immigrants is unlikely to have much practical significance. 'Most illegal immigrants who want to have bank accounts or need city services have probably long ago found ways to achieve these goals,' he says. According to him, the danger of the new law is that 'such a step by local authorities discredits US immigration law.'
Indeed, as experts note, the ID card being introduced in New Haven contradicts the laws or regulations in effect in more than 90 US cities and counties, which, on the contrary, restrict the rights of illegal immigrants and immediately deport them to their home countries. For example, in all US states, landlords are prohibited from renting housing to people illegally present in the country, and companies that hire illegal immigrants face large fines.