CAIRCO's three main arguments against accepting the matricula consular card
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It is a sham card, issued on the strength of unverified, dubious documents by agents of a corrupt foreign government. The U.S. Government has done an extensive amount of research on the Mexican Matricula Consular card to assess its viability as a reliable means of identification. The ID card does not reliably identify its holder. The Mexican government makes no attempt, nor does it have the capacity, to verify the documents required to issue the card, thus rendering the card worthless. The Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded that the matricula card is not a reliable, and is therefore a dangerous, form of identification, due to the non-existence of any means of verifying the true identity of the card holder.
However, that hasn't stopped Mexican officials from continuing to misrepresent the value of the card. In an Associated Press story, Mexico's Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez was reported to have said said, "The new IDs have all the safety elements of the most secure documents in the United States and Mexico," adding that Mexico conducts thorough background checks to verify that none of the migrants has a criminal record or represents a security threat.
Hoping to convince California to officially adopt the matricula card, Derbez said, "I'm convinced that once we have demonstrated this (to California), the concerns will be resolved" and it could lead to legislation requiring acceptance of the IDs statewide."
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Handing over the integrity of our ID-issuing responsibilities to foreign countries sets a dangerous precedent, especially since the Mexican government is one of the most corrupt in Latin America. Just recently, a former Mexican consul was arrested for helping a smuggling ring move Arab illegals into the US. In Denver, INS officials arrested one man who was in possession of three matricula cards, each with a different name but with his picture on each. The same consulate issued all three. Other countries (Honduras, Peru, Poland etc.) are now demanding the same privileges for their illegals residing in the US.
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Polls show Americans in huge percentages and across racial, class and ethnic lines do not want accommodations, including the ID card, made to the presence of illegals; they want illegals repatriated. In addition, there is a body of legal opinion that convincingly argues that accepting the card violates several federal statutes, including those statues that define immigration-related matters as the exclusive prerogative of the federal government.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Matricula Consular
Below are CAIRCO'S responses to the some of the typical questions and claims made on behalf of accepting the card.
Question: Hasn't the Mexican government made the card hard to forge, using "fraud proof" holograms and other safeguards?
Answer: The card is as sham. The Mexican government issues it on the strength of unverified, dubious and fraudulent documents. Mexican government could protect the card from being tampered with by posting armed guards at every consulate issuing the card, but they would be guarding nothing but a worthless, phony card compete with holograms, whistles and bells.
They only way to judge the value of any ID card is to look at the integrity of the issuing agency, the documents accepted to issue the card and the verifiability of the information on the card that it purports to be true. With the matricula card, all categories fail to meet the challenge. Even a gym card with supporting ID is something the matricula card is not: verifiable by a simple telephone call.
Question: Doesn't the card makes it easier for "immigrants" to go about their daily business?
Answer: Legal immigrants have no use for the card. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that all aliens legally residing in the U.S. have U.S. government-issued documents which they are required to carry at all times. Illegal aliens are supposed to have a hard time going about their illegal business. Multiple federal civil and criminal codes make it illegal to accommodate illegal aliens.
Question: Don't many police departments already accept the card, arguing that while "the card my not be perfect," it is at least some form of ID?
Answer: Many responsible cities (e.g., New York) have rejected the card. The Colorado state legislature passed a law outlawing non-verifiable ID cards issued by foreign governments. We wonder if those police chiefs who have endorsed the card, with all its "imperfections," would accept Monopoly money issued by the Mexican to satisfy debts owed them, because the card is equivalent to Monopoly money - there is nothing to back up its supposed value!
Question: Why would Denver's Mayor Webb support a card that you say is not reliable?
Answer: The Mayor didn't know what he was talking about. He actually said - We have him on tape - "illegal aliens are not issued the card." CAIRCO made an Open Records Law request to mayor Webb to produce all documents that went into his decision to accept the cards. The mayor responded by saying he had no records - no notes, meeting minutes, logs, memos, emails, etc. - nothing! The Mayor, like so many others, acted out of ignorance, or worse: acted in the interests of political pandering.
Question: Locally, Wells Fargo and BankOne recognize the card. "Immigrants" need the card to open checking and saving accounts. It is estimated there is $60 Billion under the mattresses of (illegal) immigrants. Doesn't it just makes good business sense to accept the card?
Answer: Most banks in Colorado do not recognize the card because of fraud and security concerns. They know better. The federal government - that's you and me - insure bank accounts. The idea that banks are accepting the sham ID card and therefore risking citizens' money is a travesty. The U.S. government is abdicating its responsibility here. Only a verified Social Security card should be used to open accounts.
Question: Won't "Immigrants" be more inclined to report crimes if they are able to show an ID that local authorities will accept?
Answer: The ID is a fraud. It is unverifiable, not a reliable piece of identification. Local police should not, as a matter of both safety and law, accept the card. Accepting it gives the dangerous illusion its holder is the person the card says it is. Only a person in the country illegally would need the card. Most illegal aliens commit multiple misdemeanors and felonies (including felonious document fraud and felonious failure to register with the Selective Service ) to perpetuate their presence in the US. They are, by definition, some of those criminals committing crimes, and they should be deported, not given a hall pass.
Question: The ID cards do not change anyone's immigration status, correct?
Answer: Nonsense, it is yet another step toward a de facto amnesty. The card would only add to the panoply of goodies we already give to illegals, including but not limited to: Medicaid, food stamps and free K-12 education. Now some states are giving benefits such as driver's licenses and in-state college tuition to illegal aliens. This further blurs the distinction between illegal aliens and bona fide U.S. citizens, putting illegal aliens on equal standing with U.S. citizens. In addition, these free benefits (at taxpayer expense) only act to entice and encourage even more illegal migration.
Question: Won't having an accepted ID will put the many false-document mills out of business?
Answer: No. It creates a greater number of mills and fake documents. The documents used to gain the matricula (Mexican birth certificates, Mexican voter registration cards, etc) are now commonly found by authorities in fake-documents factories.
Prepared by Mike McGarry
Toolkit for activists in other states
We have been quite successful in opposing the efforts of the Mexican government to influence Colorado cities and municipalities. We have put together an activist toolkit for you to use. This toolkit explains what we have done and offers tips and techniques to achieve success. See Matricula ID activist toolkit.