CA: L.A. county supervisor seeks to block use of Mexican ID cards

LOS ANGELES (AP) - County supervisor Mike Antonovich said Monday he received a fraudulent Mexican identification card with his own photo on it and wants the county to stop recognizing the consular cards as valid identification.

Antonovich, who was the lone vote among the county's five supervisors against first recognizing the cards in 2002, said he was concerned that the card could be misused for criminal and even terrorist purposes. Antonovich said in a statement the card is "designed to give Mexican nationals, primarily those here illegally, a valid form of identification," and said he will bring a motion Tuesday requesting his colleagues rescind their acceptance of the cards.

Mexican Consul General Ruben Beltran said the cards are secure and listed in an easily searchable, computerized database. He added that Mexico has used them since 1871, and other countries including Argentina, Guatemala and Spain have also used them as a way to document the number of citizens living abroad.

Since 2002, Mexican nationals living in the United States used the card to open up bank accounts and for health care services. The cards show the date of birth, a current photograph and the address of the card holder.

Beltran said the cards are relied upon by Mexico's 1,200 police and sheriffs departments, 160 counties, 400 cities, and 200 financial institutions. However, the database has not yet been made available to U.S. law enforcement.

To get the card, applicants must present an original birth certificate and photo ID or Mexican passport, voting or military card. They must also present proof of their address to show they have been living in the consulate's jurisdiction.

All cards have numerous security measures embedded in them that make them difficult to duplicate. The cards are valid for five years, however, so some less secure cards, issued prior to 2002, remain in circulation.

The move by Antonovich comes as the grassroots California Republican Assembly seeks to put a broader statewide ballot measure before voters that would not only block counties from recognizing the card but would also cut nearly all social benefits for undocumented immigrants.

"To get the card, applicants must present an original birth certificate and photo ID or Mexican passport, voting or military card. They must also present proof of their address to show they have been living in the consulate's jurisdiction. "

They forgot to mention the other way to get a card:

Los Angeles, U.S., July 23, 2003 (EFE) - A burgeoning black market here frequented by illegal immigrants has a new product: the forged "matricula consular," an official Mexican document some states accept for opening a bank account or getting a driver's license.

The fake registration cards are sold in broad daylight just two blocks from the Mexican Consulate at MacArthur Park, where interested parties can also buy phony Social Security cards, driver licenses, work permits and green cards.

http://www.quepasa.com/content/?c=104&id=174198

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich knew there was something wrong with Mexico's matricula consular I.D. car when a constituent obtained one using the supervisor's name and a photo from his Web site. It says he was born in Tijuana, Mexico.

Now Antonovich is trying to convince his fellow county supervisors to stop accepting the cards.

MICHAEL ANTONOVICH, L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISOR: This provides an open door to criminals because there are no background checks and it's open to fraud and abuse, from traveling on airlines to opening bank accounts.

WIAN: In places like Los Angeles, matricula consular cards are accepted by law-enforcement officers and health-care workers as viable identification, even though the FBI says they're easily counterfeited and are not reliable.

RUBEN BELTRAN, MEXICAN CONSUL GENERAL, LOS ANGELES: Supervisor Antonovich matricula shown today are cheap copies that can be spotted immediately. Anybody can obtain cheap copies of any officials document.

WIAN: Antonovich's proposal was also met with hostility by the local Spanish language press.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have something to say for the people who think that you don't like Mexican or Hispanic people?

ANTONOVICH: First of all, I don't like criminals. I don't like criminals who defraud the system. I don't like criminals who open up bank accounts to transfer money. I don't want to have criminals flying on airplanes jeopardizing the safety of fellow passengers.

WIAN: This reporter got in on the act by showing the new and improved matricula card that's less susceptible to forgery. Antonovich responded by pointing out that 90 percent of existing cards don't have those safeguards.

(on camera): Antonovich says counterfeit matricula consular cards are easily obtained in this neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles. All it takes is $30 and about two hours. The County Board of Supervisors will vote tomorrow on whether to continue accepting the Mexican consular I.D.s.

Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
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http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0502/07/ldt.01.html
Aired Feb. 7, 2005

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