Free Republic

Ah yes, a shameless vanity. Anyways, I'm writing a paper on illegal immigration and was wondering if anybody had good sources that illustrate how illegal citizens affect the political culture of the United States, i.e. politicians pandering to groups, etc. Thanks in advance, and sorry if I'm violating any rules with this. Hey, at least I didn't put it in breaking news.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The county Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to continue to accept identification cards issued by foreign consulates but to train county employees to help them detect fraudulent cards. The decision came after Supervisor Mike Antonovich announced he had been given a fraudulent Mexican identification card with his own photo on it and urged fellow supervisors not to accept the cards. The motion passed by a 3-2 vote with Supervisors Gloria Molina, Yvonne B. Burke and Zev Yaroslavsky in favor, and Antonovich and Don Knabe voting against the measure. The Mexican consular cards are by far the...

The Mexican Consular Office in Austin, Texas is taking an active role in helping Mexican citizens obtain the matrícula consular or identification card which allows Mexican citizens, here legally and illegally to open bank accounts. The office will go at the request of a bank to help Mexican nationals obtain the card and charge the bank $75.00 an hour for the service. However, if an Hispanic activist group requests that the consular office send a representative and assists with the logistics, the service is free. More than likely, this is more widespread than in Texas. Our entire society is being...

<p>Most people know that Usama bin Laden's terror group, Al Qaeda (Arabic for “the base”), derives its name from the Mujahideen database that bin Laden developed through the 1980s and 1990s.  Using “the base,” bin Laden could call on a corps of operatives to carry out missions.</p>

Washington state is not responsible for enforcing the flawed and inadequately enforced U.S. immigration laws, but its economy relies heavily on workers who do not have legal permission to be in the United States. What to do? The state Senate should approve a bill that would authorize state agencies, municipalities and state-chartered banks to accept a Mexico-issued card as valid identification. The measure passed the House 55-41 and mirrors ordinances passed by several practical-minded cities, including Seattle, Bellevue, Renton and Yakima. The matrícula consular is issued by the Mexican consulate to Mexican nationals. Applicants must appear in person, provide an...

The Bush administration nearly reached agreement with the Vicente Fox government to give legal status to millions of Mexicans illegally in America, but Sept. 11 brought it to a halt. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Tuesday it's time for a legal status short of citizenship for 8 to 12 million illegal immigrants from various countries. The government would legalize the status of those already in the country on a one-time basis, he said. ''Then, as a country, you make a decision that from this day forward, this is the process of entry, and if you violate that process of...

A coalition including Citibank, Bank One, and 33 other banks—banded together as the New Alliance Task Force—are rolling out a model loan program meant to bring undocumented Chicago immigrants into the mortgage mainstream. A few lending pioneers already provide home financing to immigrants with no Social Security numbers, and the task force's hotly debated plan provides guidance to other banks that are interested in following this lead. Without Social Security identification, banks can quantify applicants' credit risk by contacting employers, landlords, and utilities; but the greater risk of extending credit to these borrowers is reflected by a higher interest rate....

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

Impact of the Consular Registration in Arizona Por Juanita DórameQUEPASA.COM Rubén Beltrán. QUEPASA.COM Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., December 6, 2003 (quepasa.com) - Although it is difficult for the United States government to admit Consular Registration as valid since it is issued by the Mexican government to is citizens residing in North America, the truth is that almost 90 per cent of cities in Arizona, just to give an example, already accept this document as valid ID. It is precisely thanks to the number of newly opened savings accounts rising from 2002 to the present in the state, explained Mexican Consul...

Another controversial bill supported by Latino leaders may arrive soon on the desk of Gov. Gray Davis, though the embattled politician has yet to state his position on the issue. The state Senate this week approved Assembly Bill 522, which, if it eventually is signed by the governor, would require all public agencies to recognize Mexican consular identification cards, otherwise known as "matricula consular," that could be used by undocumented immigrants to open bank accounts and receive various services. Opponents say the identification cards could pose a security risk because they are not fraud-proof. Before the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman...

SACRAMENTO — Identification cards issued by Mexico, already accepted by Los Angeles and 14 other local governments in California, would have to be honored by all cities and counties under a bill that cleared the Assembly on Monday. Proponents say widespread acceptance of the cards would make it easier for Mexican citizens living in California to open bank accounts, get marriage licenses, use libraries and respond to routine traffic stops by police. "This bill will benefit thousands of Mexican nationals," said Assemblyman Manny Diaz (D-San Jose), author of AB 522... Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) urged a no vote, calling the...

IDs for Illegals - The 'Matricula Consular Advances Mexico's Immigration Agenda Center For Immigration Studies By Marti Dinerstein January, 2003 In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a migration deal with Mexico was tabled while attention turned to homeland security. So, the Mexican government abruptly changed its White House strategy and substituted a grass roots approach that would focus at the local level, seek small successes, and build momentum for Congressional action. The lynchpin for this new strategy was to be the "matricula consular," an official identity card issued by the Mexican government, which they wanted to be officially...

<p>WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and immigration reform groups blasted the Bush administration Tuesday for quietly allowing Mexico to distribute thousands of identification cards to Mexican nationals to help them reap the benefits offered in the United States.</p> <p>Matricula consular cards are being doled out by the Mexican government at $25 a pop and are good for five years. All a Mexican national needs is a birth certificate and a photo ID issued either in the United States or Mexico, and he or she can use the card to obtain social services in the United States, open bank or utility accounts and obtain building permits.</p>

This Palm Beach Post Editorial says that the Matricula Consular cards are a boost for security: No government in Florida has recognized the card. In September, the Lake Worth City Commission voted 3-1 against the cards. Many of the state's Mexican-American leaders, among them state Rep. Susan Bucher, D-Lantana, are working closely with the Mexican Consulate -- a meeting took place Saturday -- to win approval from cities and counties. One of the worst arguments used against recognition is that the cards compromise security. In fact, they do the opposite by creating a registry of Mexican nationals who are living...

from the November 29, 2002 edition LINING UP: Armando Ortiz Rocha (l.), Mexican consul for North and South Carolina, looks over a deputy's shoulder as hundreds of Mexican immigrants wait for matricula consular IDs in West Columbia, S.C.PATRIK JONSSON For illegal immigrants, new mobile ID service Thriving beneath the radar and above the law, matricula consulars boost the privileges and status of illegal Mexicans.   By Patrik Jonsson | Special to The Christian Science Monitor WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – At El Rincon Vaquero trading post here in West Columbia, S.C., votive candles compete with cowboy hats and jars of dark...