Approval of ID cards criticized.(news)

Publication: Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV)

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Las Vegas Review-Journal

BYLINE: JULIET CASEY, REVIEW-JOURNAL

Nevada's approval this month of the use of Mexican government-issued cards as valid forms of identification has triggered criticism from local and national groups that favor immigration reform.

While local law enforcement officials, civil libertarians and other supporters say the cards will improve national security and reduce crime, critics say a broad acceptance of the cards, known as a matriculas, will make it harder for government agencies to crack down on illegal immigration and could render the country more vulnerable to terrorists.

"This will be challenged," said Craig Nelsen, director of a Washington D.C.-based immigration reform interest group called Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement. "The campaign by the Mexican government for acceptance of these cards is well-coordinated and basically an attempt for a stealth amnesty of illegal aliens."

Nelsen testified Thursday before a congressional panel against state and local governments creating policies that allow use of the cards as a valid form of identification. He said the United States has duties, such as providing national security and defending against domestic fraud, that require U.S. authorities to maintain control over the identification of people in the country.

Janine Hansen, president of the...

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