Mexican ID Cards Drawing Criticism

Even as the move to accept Mexican consular cards as identification spreads beyond Orange County, opposition is mounting among groups that seek to limit change.

On their Web sites and telephone-answering machines, such groups as the California Coalition for Immigration Reform in Huntington Beach are urging their supporters to “strongly oppose this treachery.”

They are planning at least two protests--one at the Dec. 4 Anaheim City Council meeting and another in front of Anaheim City Hall on Dec. 8, billed as a Defense of the Homeland rally. The American Patrol and the California Coalition for Immigration Reform take a hard line against illegal immigration.

“Our concerns are that the police in Orange County seem to be taking it upon themselves to assume the responsibility for foreign affairs,” said Glenn Spencer, president of the Sherman Oaks-based American Patrol.

“The only persons, it would seem to us, who need to get the special consular documents are persons who are in the country illegally.”

The protests reopen an issue that police and immigrant-rights groups had nearly resolved after months of protests and arguments. Immigrants in Orange County, particularly in Anaheim, have criticized police for a long-standing policy that allows an INS agent to be stationed at Anaheim City Jail.

The result, they said, is that illegal immigrants were being deported as a result of minor infractions. Without a driver’s license or identification, police could detain suspects. And, once in jail, immigration authorities are allowed to question suspects and check their residency status.

The illegal immigrants complained that they could not obtain a driver’s license or a state ID card without a Social Security card. With proper identification, most people are cited and released.

After the consulate and other immigrant-rights groups began logging increasing numbers of complaints and stories of families separated by deportations, the Mexican consulate met with police chiefs in Orange County.

Officials suggested that police accept the matricula consulare, a commonly known identification card issued by the consulate to people who have lived in the United States for at least six months. The police agencies agreed.

That decision came shortly after Wells Fargo Bank made a similar announcement that it would begin accepting the Mexican ID as a primary form of identification for people opening new accounts. U.S. Bank and Union Bank followed suit. And this week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging police, the Sheriff’s Department and other local agencies to accept the card.

“We figured if Orange County could do it, than certainly we should be able to formalize it as well,” said San Francisco Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, who noted that the city is a “city of refuge” for immigrants. He is working with the city attorney to draft an ordinance that will make it local law to accept the ID cards.

“It’s good government,” Sandoval said. “I think it’s a waste of resources to transport somebody, book somebody, search somebody and to go through all that just because they do not have a California ID or any other ID.” Besides that, Sandoval called it a “humanitarian gesture” to individuals who are detained for minor offenses and ultimately jailed or deported.

Anaheim Police Sgt. Mike Hidalgo said the department has received many negative e-mails, some accusing police of collaborating with the Mexican government.

“We put out a training bulletin: Here’s the card, here’s what it looks like,” Hidalgo said. “If you run across it, just be aware of it. It’s another form of ID that’s out there, and we’re accepting it.”

Zeke Hernandez, president of the Santa Ana League of United Latin American Citizens, praised the decision. His group and other community groups plan to attend the Dec. 4 Anaheim City Council meeting to present their views.

Hernandez said the anti-immigration groups have a right to protest, but he added: “They want a filtered community and their perspective of a filtered community is a community with a minimal amount of immigrants. It’s an extreme viewpoint. I think the larger community ought to consider that those viewpoints can lead to a difficult and dangerous environment.”