Mexican ID Cards Now Valid in County

Cards issued by the Mexican government will be accepted as a proper form of identification during police stops, Orange County law enforcement leaders announced Friday.

The Orange County Assn. of Police Chiefs agreed to accept the cards as a form of identification after meeting with Mexican Consulate officials last month. Until now, police departments differed on what types of identification are valid. Friday’s decision creates a uniform policy countywide.

The move was welcomed by immigration-rights leaders who say many Latinos are routinely jailed on petty crimes because they have no recognized form of identification.

“A lot of families have been separated because they didn’t carry ID,” said Miguel Angel Isidro, the Mexican consular in Santa Ana.

Forty-six Mexican consulates in the nation issue the card, known as matricula consular.

“This is a very good move,” said Amin David, president of the activist group Los Amigos of Orange County. “It obviates the need for anyone to be arrested on minor infractions. The consul’s office is certifying that Jose Gonzalez is Jose Gonzalez.”

The card costs $27 and requires a Mexican birth certificate, a photo identification card and proof of residence.

“The ID card has enough information to identify the person,” Isidro said. “It has nothing to do with immigration and the INS. That is a federal issue.”

Isidro said more than 3,000 immigrants arrested on minor infractions last year were deported after officials determined that they did not have valid identification. Most were from Mexico, he said.

Fingerprints will be required to get the cards but will not be shared with police to investigate crimes, Isidro said.

Police said the cards should bolster confidence among some Latinos who have traditionally been afraid to report crimes or testify because of their immigration status.

In February, the California Police Chiefs Assn. will meet and determine if the program will be implemented statewide. Some metropolitan areas already recognize the cards as a valid form of ID. Wells Fargo Bank this week announced that it would allow people with the cards to establish checking and savings accounts.

Police in Anaheim and elsewhere have drawn criticism for detaining people who cannot show valid IDs--even those accused of minor offenses that normally do not lead to arrest.

Once in jail, immigration authorities are allowed to check suspects’ residency status and in some cases deport them if they are in the country illegally.