"N.Y. launches municipal identification card program" Associated Press January 13, 2015
NEW YORK — New York City has launched its municipal identification card program, the largest in the country, which officials say will allow immigrants living in the country illegally to access key city services they were previously unable to obtain.
The card, dubbed IDNYC, was approved last year and became available to New Yorkers on Monday. It is aimed at those who do not currently have a government-issued ID, including the elderly, homeless, and an estimated 500,000 immigrants in the city who live in the country without legal documentation.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who worked closely with City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to create the program, long a liberal goal, called the card ‘‘a gateway to city services.’’
‘‘It is the key to opening a bank account or getting a library card, and the ticket to many of our city’s finest cultural institutions,’’ said the mayor, a Democrat. ‘‘More than that, this card represents who we are: New Yorkers who value equality, opportunity, and diversity.’’
Advocates believe having the photo-embedded cards may make immigrants otherwise lacking documentation feel more comfortable seeking help from law enforcement. They said the cards also may help elderly and homeless people and members of the transgender community.
And terrorists.
--more--"
Related: Obama's Immigrants
I'm holding him responsible for the actions of each and every one, yeah.
Related:
"Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that he will lift a longtime ban on cellphones in New York City public schools, ending a widely unpopular practice and bringing the city in line with other large school districts. De Blasio promised to overturn the ban during his 2013 mayoral campaign."
Still have stop-and-frisk (where did that debate go, anyway?), but he kept that one.
Also see: Foundation to pay off slain NYC police officers’ mortgages
Time for a drink.
