Free Republic

by John HillStand With Arizona A stalwart foe of illegal immigration has won a victory over sanctuary city policies in a major U.S. city. Atlanta has repealed an ordinance that recognized a particular Mexican ID - the infamous "Matricula Consular" card - for city government transactions. The city council voted to repeal the ordinance - which was adopted in 2004 - after a complaint was filed with the newly created state Immigration Enforcement and Review Board - which was created after passage of Georgia's Arizona-style immigration law H.B. 87 in July 2010. The complaint, filed in February by longtime...

Local senator revives controversy over Matricula Consular card. Mexican citizens living in California could use a controversial identification card issued by the Mexican government for business transactions under legislation introduced by Orange County state Sen. Lou Correa. The Santa Ana Democrat's proposal, Senate Bill 461, would allow notaries in California to accept Matricula Consular cards as valid identification for executing property transfers and other official transactions. The Mexican government, through its consulate offices, issues Matricula Consular photo ID cards to Mexican nationals living outside of their country, regardless of their emigration status. The cards have a reputation for being easily...

(Article: May 23, 2005) In an attempt to make itself more attractive to Hispanic consumers, Wachovia Bank is offering some new services, including Spanish language bank statements and a different way to transfer funds to Latin America. A foreign remittance card that can be used at ATM machines across Latin America is one of the services in the bank's "Cuenta con Todo" or "account with everything" package of services. They are, for the most part, the same services offered to other customers, but with the addition of bank statements and information offered in Spanish, a spokeswoman for the bank...

Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants lined up at St Joachim Parish in Costa Mesa, CA for Matrícula Consular cards. http://www.stjoachimparish.com/ FBI and Matrícula Consular cards: http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress03/mccraw062603.htm Notice the American Birth Certificates (presumable for the children) and the Mexican ID Card

NORTH COUNTY ---- U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, co-sponsored a bill introduced Wednesday that would block an effort by some banks to issue credit cards and open accounts for people who don't have Social Security numbers ---- most of whom are thought to be illegal immigrants. The bill, which would be called the Photo Identification Security Act, would name specific forms of documentation needed to open a bank account or get a credit card. Those forms of documentation listed in the bill are a Social Security card with a government-issued form of identification such as a state driver's license,...

A vote by U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez to allow banks to accept an ID card the Mexican government gives to illegal immigrants has raised the issue of whether Beauprez faced a conflict of interest and voted to protect his own bank. Used Car Blowout! 1999 Ford Expedition $188/mo or $10,988;2003 Infiniti M45 Loaded $23,988 The use of "matricula consular" cards has been controversial in Colorado. The cards, which are issued by the Mexican consulate, are intended to help illegal immigrants prove their identity in the U.S. In 2003, the Colorado legislature passed a law forbidding state and local governments from...

Interesting web site showing PDFs that Washington Mutual prints for illegal aliens looking to do things like open bank accounts. They only require Matricula Consular IDs. Sigh...

Bush administration officials yesterday angered lawmakers by refusing to take a position on illegal aliens obtaining U.S. driver's licenses and avoiding questions about its decision to recognize Mexican identification cards. Officials testifying before the House Select Committee on Homeland Security said they are reviewing what documentation is secure and reliable, but evaded direct questions on the matricula consular cards now accepted by California and New Mexico to obtain driver's licenses. Critics say the cards issued by the Mexican Embassy are easily falsified and used by illegal aliens to establish residency. Stewart Verdery, Homeland Security assistant secretary, was asked directly whether...

Hundreds of Mexican citizens lined up outside the Hispanic Service Center to apply for identification cards and passports on Saturday, as representatives from the Mexican Consulate in Dallas came to Tyler to accept applications. Representative Hugo Juarez said the visit is part of the consulate's outreach program to "provide services we normally provide in Dallas." "The idea is to bring the service closer to their homes," Juarez said, explaining that it allows Mexicans to apply in a short time, without having to miss work. Otherwise, applicants would have to travel to Dallas, losing one or two days' salary. Juarez said...

Senator Gil Cedillo's bill to give California driver's licenses to illegal aliens is set to be heard in the Senate Transportation & Housing Committee this Thursday. Please take time today to contact the committee members and ask them to oppose this bill. more information available at www.saveourlicense.com email all of the committee members (except for Maldonado, Runner & Simitian who don't use public email addresses. Use our website to contact them.)

A woman whose brother was killed in the September 11 attacks yesterday surprised top members of the House Homeland Security Committee with counterfeit Mexican matricula consular cards bearing the members' identities and showcasing how easy it is to get valid identification to board an airplane. Debra Burlingame, who was testifying on the Transportation Security Administration's screening procedures for pilots and flight crews, wouldn't reveal who made the cards, which appeared to bear the security marks of a valid card, but emphasized that they can be used to carry on daily business. "They look exactly like what I've seen. The back...

A Video of Lou Dobbs interviewing, Peter Gadiel (PRESIDENT, 9/11 FAMILIES FOR A SECURE AMERICA) DOBBS: "We talked, of course, as we have a number of times, with the consulate of Mexico. They said that the card you have they simply wanted to let you know that it was invalid and they have a far more secure one now. GADIEL: "Right. Well, I took care of that problem. Hal Netkin (ph), a friend of mine out in California, got me -- got me a new one. And while I was in the process, he also got you one." DOBBS: "Oh,...

For the first time in Ashland — and with no questions about immigration status — Mexican-born residents of the valley flocked to get a highly valued card called the matricula consular, a secure ID card that enables them to open bank accounts, get a driver’s license and start on the road to work and legal residency. The optically scanned, photo ID cards were given to 200 locals by the Mexican consulate from Portland, whose officials travel to the main towns of Oregon once a year for that purpose. The process took place at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church...

Here's the voting record; only 13 opposed it. It now goes to the House. The amendment prohibits it from being used for drivers licenses or government services, but it can still be used to open bank accounts, library cards, etc. In effect, it offers recognition to Illinois' 400,000 illegals who are here to steal jobs and wages from the state's residents. The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Herald ignored this legislation just as they have ignored a House bill (HB 129) that would give drivers licenses to these criminals. And it remains to be seen whether all foreign governments...

If there is no further opposition, Illinois could recognize consular matriculas as official identification in less than two months. The question is whether there will be matriculas for everybody. Jorge Mújica Murias – La Raza The Executive Committee of the Illinois Senate this week approved with minor discussion SB 1623 introduced by Martín Sandoval. This bill would oblige state authorities at all levels to accept consular matriculas as official identification documents. The bill defines the matricula as official identification issued by a foreign government through its consulates to its citizens living abroad. SB 1623 directs all offices and local authorities...

Get serious about immigration enforcement December 30, 2004 By Heather Mac Donald Now that the Bernard Kerik nomination has crashed and burned, President Bush should ask the next candidate for Department of Homeland Security chief the most important question for the job: Will you enforce the law against border trespassers? Nothing compromises our domestic defense against Islamic terrorism more than our failure to control who enters the country. The alien-smuggling trade is the "sea in which terrorists swim," explains David Cohen, the New York Police Department's deputy commissioner for intelligence and an ex-CIA expert on al-Qaeda. Yet fear of offending...

Fed up with what they say is the Bush administration's failure to address a growing illegal immigration problem, a small group of conservatives has launched a series of radio ads seeking to convince voters to oust President Bush from office. Last week, a group called Friends of the Border Patrol began a series of ads on KABC-AM in Los Angeles blasting Bush for "playing politics with national security." The group plans on running the same ads in Arizona starting this week, before the Oct. 13 presidential debate in Phoenix, and in the following weeks in Nevada and New Mexico, a...

From "Mexican Consulate helps locals with their papers": Yara Duran wants to open a bank account to start saving money for her 1-year-old daughter, Ashley. [Duran obtained] her "matricula consular," a form of identification issued by Mexican consulates all over the world that identifies her as a Mexican citizen. With that document, she will be able to open a bank account. "In the bank they told me I needed that," Duran said. "And here I am." ...Alberto Martin, North Shore Bank branch manager in Milwaukee [said] "This is our third venture with the Mexican Consulate. We have participated in activities...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to support a Bush administration plan to allow the use of Mexican identification cards to open U.S. bank accounts. The House voted 222 to 177 remove language in an $89.9 billion bill funding the Transportation and Treasury Departments aimed at preventing the use of the cards. The House has yet to vote on the overall bill. The White House and Treasury Department support the cards, known as "matricula consular," which have opened bank doors for many new(illegal)immigrants who lack any form of U.S.-issued identification, allowing them to open accounts...

SAN MARCOS – The state's largest insurer is encouraging Mexican nationals living in California to apply for health insurance by using the "matricula consular," an identification card issued by the Mexican General Consulate. Blue Cross of California officials visited North County Health Services in San Marcos yesterday as part of a statewide effort to spread the word that Mexican immigrants can qualify for private insurance even if they don't have Social Security numbers. Blue Cross joins Health Net of California as the first insurance providers in this state to accept the matricula consular cards as official identification, a nod to...