Many of those existing forms of I.D.'s are easily forged. Social Security cards even more easily. Without an integrated database, an employer can request and receive valid I.D. information from an illegal, only to find out weeks or even months later that it was bogus.
If the feds are dependent on inadequate state I.D.'s for identification, how are they supposed to enforce the immigration laws properly?
I'm really not taking a position on this because I don't like the "National I.D." thing anyway. But I do see a problem with controlling illegal workers under the current system.
You know, there are some interesting difficulties in this whole lack of a uniform system of identifications. Let's take this case:
1. The person is not a citizen.
2. He/she speaks excellent English, as do many people outside of the USA.
3. He/she never attempts to vote.
4. He/she never applies for any sort of welfare.
5. Through some subterfuge, the person has a SS# and Driver's Licence (it's not that difficult).
6. Most importantly, U.S. Citizens are not required to present identification on demand.
How do you identify this person as an illegal alien? The answer is that you don't. He/she lives and operates as a legal citizen, and probably will never be discovered.
Well we don't deport or even detain illegal immigrants. We don't require English to be spoken. Their children are entitled to a free education, free emergency medical care and cannot be asked their status as a citizen ( in NY anyway).
How will my carrying a national ID card change this situation? Fix those problems first, build a wall, then see if we still need a national ID.
There are systems in place already for verifying the validity of driver's licenses and social security numbers. A number of employers use them. The problem is that for employers who hire illegals, and there is not a doubt in my mind that they know they are illegals, there is no incentive for them to verify documents provided by their illegal applicants. If they did, they would no longer be able to claim ignorance which, for now, is serving them well.
The solution is not to put more restrictions on Americans, but on employers in their hiring practives. Of course, the whole argument is a red herring. National ID isn't about controlling illegals. It is about tracking and controlling Americans. This is just another excuse to implement a program the federal government has drooled over for decades, just waiting until they could find an excuse that enough Americans would buy into.