ACLU advises caution regarding massive immigration reform

by smkovalinsky | October 13, 2009 at 12:22 pm
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US Department of Immigrations

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The ACLU ( American Civil Liberties Union ) advises that proposed immigrations reform must not curtail or compromise civil liberties.

It insists that questions of ethnic and racial profiling arise from the idea of a National ID and Employment card for verification purposes.  

“The ACLU is encouraged by the willingness of congressional leaders to lay out details of immigration reform, but we strongly oppose any reforms that would unnecessarily violate the privacy of Americans,” said Michael Macleod-Ball, Acting Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, in a statement issued today.“We urge lawmakers to reject any proposed immigration reform measures that include a biometric national worker ID system or a universal compulsory electronic employment verification system. These systems come at enormous cost to the American public and do little to prevent the hiring of undocumented workers. It is unacceptable to force Americans to be fingerprinted and photographed in order to work.”

The idea of a national ID and employment verification system is something immigration reform advocates often include as a way to appease critics of a comprehensive bill that would legalize some currently illegal immigrants. But the ACLU and other civil liberties groups have long opposed it.

Today the ACLU also criticized the controversial portion of the immigration laws that allow, under section 287(g), local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law, which has led to “racial and ethnic profiling across the country” and discouraged immigrants from cooperating with police, as I’ve discussed in previous posts. The Department of Homeland Security under Janet Napolitano has actually expanded the 287(g) program, despite the documented problems.

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1
a211423

Why doesnt the federal government work on preventing the illegal use and creation of social security numbers?  In order to work in most cases, they have to have an SS number.  Additionally, this could help prevent identity thief for the general public.   

 

1
Roy C

I don't see any good way around a national ID. I had a "national ID" when I lived in Italy, and I had no problem with it.

On the contrary, it made life easier.

Our names are already on databases everywhere. What we need is accountability and transparency, not half-baked measures to stop ID theft and the hiring of illegals.


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First Flagged at 12:43 PM, Oct 13, 2009 by a211423
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