Membership’s Perks, for Immigrants, Too

New York Times (Editorial)

October 20, 2014

Membership’s Perks, for Immigrants, Too 

At a time of very bad news on immigration, when the forces of exclusion and fear are dominant, the power of affiliation is still strong, especially in cities. New York is a couple of months away from expressing its values in a tangible and useful way: with a citywide identity card, available to all residents over age 14, whatever their immigration status. The card will tell everybody that its owner is a bona fide New Yorker, an assertion given the force of government validation, with a photograph.

For unauthorized immigrants, the card will ease the insecurity of lacking official ID, giving them something to show when entering schools and other government buildings, encountering police officers and opening bank accounts. The city has designed the card to include side benefits, like free admission or discounts at 33 cultural institutions, including the Bronx Zoo, Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Those perks are meant to entice nonimmigrant New Yorkers to sign up, too.

Much is riding on the card’s wide acceptance. It may not become as common as a MetroCard, but, if it proves popular, it will not be a “scarlet letter” exposing its holders as lacking immigration status but rather a signifier of general membership in the club of the five boroughs. That was the goal set by cities like New Haven, a pioneer in creating a municipal ID card, and San Francisco, Oakland and other cities that have followed its example.

The longer it takes for Congress to act on immigration reform, the more it will fall to cities and towns to keep America’s welcoming spirit alive. Municipal IDs are signs of confidence in the benefits of integration — the belief that when strangers rub shoulders, when outsiders are welcomed and absorbed, the community flourishes.

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