A National ID Card: It’s Time

Immigration reform is in the news as President Obama addressed the subject earlier this week.

As is the case with most topics, I tend to make a simplistic argument—and then challenge my readers to poke holes in it. It seems that Democrats and Republicans will never agree on a solution. The ongoing debate is fine, except that it postpones any action at all—and no one wants that (with the notable exception of all illegal immigrants)

There are a couple of truths that, whether you like it or not, seem evident:

1) This country will never mass deport all illegal immigrants. Just won’t happen.
2) This country cannot and will not build a wall or create conditions that will ever completely erase illegals coming into the country. Not possible.

So, it’s time to get sensible and really deal with the problem, one that will most definitely cause hardship and may at times seem too harsh.

It would appear that the most glaring negative effects of illegal aliens are the fact that these squatters take jobs from legal citizens and many live on social services that are funded by law-abiding taxpayers.

This has to stop.

I propose a National ID card that would provide a tool to not only thwart illegal immigrants from living on the public dole, but one that would also lessen identity theft, voter fraud and countless other abuses.

Please don’t take the position that requiring this type of ID is a violation of your “rights”. Whether it is a driver’s license ID, a social security card or major credit card, modern American society (and in fact every society) requires the verification of identity to access any one of thousands of services.

Why do we make all of this so hard?

A National ID, with photo, perhaps a DNA signature or other positive ID technology could be employed to identify who you are. Children under, say, 12 years of age would merely be required to have a birth certificate with guardians listed.

With this tool in hand, the following could be implemented:

1) Heavily fine any business that hires illegal aliens. I’m talking six figures fines, whatever it takes to eliminate the incentive to bring in illegal workers.

2) Definitive proof of citizenship via this ID card in order to be employed.

3) Social services like welfare and food stamps would require this documentation

4) Illegal aliens with criminal records would, upon discovery, be deported immediately.

5) Illegal aliens with children would be given a “path to citizenship” that would require compulsory work for municipal, state and local governments in projects of value to society at either minimum wage or a going rate wage with a requirement to pay taxes at a percentage exceeding U.S. Citizens earning a similar amount. In addition, the requirement to learn English, the U.S. Constitution, etc., would be imposed. After 5-7 years, these illegals would be eligible to become U.S. citizens. Refusal to do this would result in deportation. While these families would live below the poverty level (as defined for the U.S.) for a number of years, this standard of living would likely be higher than in the country they fled—and would be a limited period “price of admission” to citizenship. Hey, freedom isn’t free.

6) Children of illegals would be given a similar “path”, without the requirement to work.


There has to be some short-term government safety net to help care for the indigent illegals and/or their children as they work out their “path”, but it needs to be distinctly different and separate from the benefits accorded to law-abiding citizens. The same for education, which should be separate-and geared towards assimilation into the U.S. culture, which is the ultimate objective, no? This segregation is not intended to be racially motivated—again, it is a temporary situation that allows foreign-born aspirants to American citizenship to have their unique education needs addressed while at the same time not disrupting public education with an influx of students who cannot speak English. Enrollment in school would be treated similarly to employment—proof of citizenship required to enter the general population.

Illegal aliens arrive because America promises economic opportunity. More than that, however, is the prime opportunity to “game” the system as it is structured right now and live far better than they did in their “home” country—all without having to work for it.

Legal immigration is the lifeblood of this country. With the exception of Native Americans, we are all the beneficiaries of a country that welcomes those from other lands. We are not, however, the welfare state for the world—and we need to set aside charges of racism, profiling or discrimination. They do not apply here. The fact that a great majority of illegal immigrants are Hispanic is not a race issue. It is merely a geographic proximity issue.

If you reside in this country—you are here either legally or illegally. The latter need to be identified and dealt with. A “path” to legal citizenship may not be easy, but it is not unreasonable or inhumane. Allowing illegals to remain unchecked to siphon off the welfare system and rob legal Americans of employment is the truly unreasonable choice.

Why can’t all sides of the political spectrum sit down and hammer out a workable plan? What’s outlined above may have many flaws, but the objectives must be met—how it is accomplished could be the fruit of substantive discussions, not political grandstanding.

Will our elected officials ever make the right call here?


If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com