Hispanics oppose REAL ID legislation:

Fernando Aceves interviewed hispanic community members for the East Oregonian newspaper. The article notes that many Hispanics here do not have proper immigration documentation to obtain a driver's license under the new law. Some quotes:

“If they take away our driver’s licenses, we’ll just have to drive to work illegally, like many other people do, immigrant and non-immigrant."

“Terrorism is the excuse some people are using to take away as much as possible from illegal immigrants and make our stay here even worse,” he said. “But until they take away employers that’ll hire us, driver’s license or no driver’s license, we’ll keep working.”

“First we must get the facts straight. It was legal immigrants who hijacked those planes on Sept. 11. Most of them were from Saudi Arabia, not Mexico.”

The REAL ID law has lots of loopsholes to grant driver's licenses:

Although many feel that the real ID law is aimed at keeping illegal aliens from getting ID, Juan Mann, at his VDARE site, writes that that law is full of handy loopholes that will either enable the unentitled to get licenses, or enable those in the US for a very short time to get licenses good for a year. Some quotes from his article, REAL ID . . . REALly For Illegal Aliens:

"Here’s the point: illegal aliens with a "pending" application for anything are still illegal aliens. But under REAL ID, they can still get a state driver’s license."

To support the above, Mann explains that it's easy to have a pending application:
"Aliens who file frivolous, bogus immigration applications just to be able to present proof that an application is "pending" ... could care less that the application couldn’t possibly be granted."

" ... the aliens listed in group (viii) (“has approved deferred action status”) are really illegal aliens and criminal alien residents who have already been ordered deported, but the federal Government has decided to "defer" the "action" of actually carrying out the deportation. ... they’ll have the federal government’s blessing for their state temporary driver’s license."

Real ID Act mostly helps identity thieves

The Mercury News in California has an article discussing how the Real ID Act mostly helps identity thieves . Some quotes:

"The rules wouldn't have stopped the Sept. 11 hijackers, who were in the United States legally. ... [The new law] will make fake IDs more valuable, creating a greater incentive for DMV workers to turn bad."

"The people who will benefit most from this law are snoops and identity thieves. The requirement that all personal information be encoded in a machine-readable form will be a gift to them. Already bars, athletic clubs and other commercial establishments swipe driver's licenses. With a national format, every retailer will swipe the IDs to collect valuable information that will be sold to data aggregators, such as ChoicePoint. They, in turn, will resell the information to marketers and other customers."

Whom to Blame:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.), the author of the previously rejected REAL ID Act (similar text, I believe) thanks several senators for passage of the Real ID rider. The quote, as reported by U. S. NewsWire:

"I am grateful for the White House's strong support of this border security legislation. In addition, Senators Frist, McConnell, Santorum, Specter, Kyl, Sessions, Brownback, DeWine, and Cornyn were among those very helpful in shepherding this legislation through the Senate and I wish to thank them."

Five Senators who stood up:

This web page records the statements of five senators who spoke out against RealID before the senate passed the entire bill. Bear in mind it's not clear what all the senators thought they were voting on; the drafts (and some comments on the web) suggest that RealID was removed and put back during Senate action (see Byrd below). The five senators (with a quote from each) are:

1. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) "unlike a lot of legislation we pass here, this is well named. This really is a national identification card."
   
2. Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) "The federal government should not impinge upon the states' ability to decide who can and cannot drive on their roads."
   
3. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) "During the recess, 55 pages of modified Real ID immigration legislation were inserted into the conference report, sight unseen, by the conferees. Now, can you imagine that? That would not have happened when I was chairman of the Appropriations Committee. That would not have happened when I was majority leader of the Senate."
   
4. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT) "The Real ID Act will repeal ID security provisions enacted with overwhelming bipartisan support last year at the urging of the 9/11 Commission."
   
5. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) "The Real ID Act is a big step in the wrong direction."
   

And perhaps other senators spoke out as well. The web page I'm referring to starts by pointing out that Bill O'Reilly of Fox non-News misleadingly suggested that the senate passed RealID BY ITSELF 100-0.

Can’t Renew your driver’s license by Mail:

An opinion piece in the Washington Olympian notes that we will no longer be able to renew our driver’s licenses by mail, nor online. Quotes from the article:

"The act assumes undocumented immigrants are going to go home, but they are not."

“One area where the Real ID Act is found to be really lacking is the manner in which it was rubberstamped into law. … The approach used by its supporters speaks volumes about their confidence in passing a stand-alone Real ID Act of 2005.”


“The [Washington] licensing department was close to enacting a plan to allow people ages 24 to 65 without major health problems to renew their licenses online or by mail. The move would make it easier for 50,000 people a month and reduce waiting lines at licensing offices for others. Now it looks like everyone would have to come into the office, proof of citizenship in hand, for at least the first renewal under Real ID.”

'Real ID' Act Could Help ID Thieves

An article at Eweek discusses how the 'Real ID' Act Could Help ID Thieves. Quotes:

"[The new law is] being done in spite of the growing popularity of state RMVs (Registries of Motor Vehicles) as targets for identity thieves, experts say."

"Collection of this particular information is not new, the linkage of states' databases is. The bill specifies that states link what are at present discrete databases, creating, in effect, one nationwide database with personal information pertaining to all citizens.

Even with states' currently discrete, disconnected databases, thieves increasingly have turned their attention to RMVs."

"In March, thieves rammed a car through the back wall of a DMV near Las Vegas and stole computer equipment containing personal information on more than 8,900 people. Police in the past month have arrested DMV examiners in Florida and Maryland for selling fake driver's licenses."

June 6: Epic Event in Washington D.C.:

Epic.org, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, has announced an Event about the RealID law, to take place on June 6. Watch that link for details. A sad quote from their web site a few days ago:

"Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Senate have urged Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to allow hearings on the [RealID] bill and to permit a separate vote on the measure."

No real Funding!

An opinion piece in the Santa Cruz Sentinal zeroes in on the lack of funding, and what it means to California. Quotes:

“Unfortunately, it does not provide dollars and cents for states. … For California, this could be a huge problem, since the state has some 800,000, at a minimum, undocumented workers. In the Pajaro Valley, the estimate is between 10,000 and 20,000 undocumented workers, who are the backbone of the agricultural industry. …
we have a big problem with the federal government essentially taking authority over a state function — issuing driver’s licenses — without providing any funding for implementation.”

Immigration advocates slam Real ID Act:

Samantha Henry, in the Bergen Herald News, looks at the new law from The immigrants’ point of view. Quotes:

“Linton Joaquin, the executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said the legislation will only force more people outside the law. "It doesn't do much to address national security issues, it makes us less secure by driving people further into the shadows," Joaquin said. "We're all safer if everyone driving on the road is licensed, tested and insured."”

“The Real ID Act also tightens regulations for immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, increasing the burden of proof.”

Advocates such as Partha Banerjee, the executive director of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, say the legislation is "anti-immigrant. It's basically creating another class in an already stratified society," Banerjee said. "It's saying: these are people to watch out for, these are people not to be trusted, these are potential terrorists, which is far from the truth."

Thomas C. Greene: HR 1268 good for terrorists!

Thomas C. Greene’s column on the new law calls the law a “legislative Trojan horse”. Some quotes:

“[The law] it will give the federal government long-sought control over the movements of Americans, which is exactly what about half of its boosters had in mind.”

Here’s why the cards will be good for terrorists:

“Once these cards become established, … They will become the most valuable fraudulent ID documents available, and the black market supplying them will flourish in unprecedented splendor. Criminals will get them. Terrorists will get them. Illegal aliens will get them. They'll pay a lot more than they do today for identity documents, but these will be worth the expense. They'll be really convincing.”

What is the requirement for a digital photograph???

We'll have to wait patiently for the Homeland Security Secretary (let's call this person "The HiSS") to say exactly what has to go on a driver's license, but this requirement is puzzling:

"(5) A digital photograph of the person."

To me, that means a data file on the license - maybe a jpeg or a png - with the image of the driver. It doesn't mean what's on my NJ license now, I'll bet. That's an image that might have been taken with a digital camera, and it might have been printed with a digital printer, but now that it's on the surface of the card: it's not digital anymore!

The Actual Text of the Infamous RealID Law, signed by our Pres:

To see the full text, go Here and click on the bottom link at that page to the text of the law. It includes the "RealId" stuff, but doesn't use that word anymore. And it's NOT an easy read. Quotes:

"To meet the requirements of this section, a State shall include, at a minimum, the following information and features on each driver's license and identification card issued to a person by the State: ...

(5) A digital photograph of the person. ...

(9) A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements."

Item 9 is the killer, turning us into a nation of Federal ID card swipers.

But what is item 5??? Would you say the photograph ON YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE is analog or digital?

While they're at it: Screw Small Businesses!

Freshnews.com points out that the new law will also "strip billions of dollars in government contracts from small business owners." Another quote:

"As the DOE purchases about $19 billion in goods and services annually, it should be awarding more than $4 billion in prime contracts to small business. This provision would effectively cut DOE small business opportunities in half, according to the Senate and House small business committees. "

Targeting Illegal Immigrants with a sledge-hammer:

Emily Alpert, in the independent student newspaper, Chicago Maroon, discusses the mishmash that is this law. She points out the provisions that attack illegal immigrants, perhaps forcing them all, in the future, to drive without licenses and insurance. Quotes:

" ... the bill sets harsher standards for refugees seeking asylum ..."

"A second provision restricts habeas corpus for immigrants, preventing most from challenging their deportation in court ..."

" ... the legislation undercuts the marginal progress made in states like California to admit the reality of undocumented immigration, by preventing migrants from getting driver’s licenses and automotive insurance. The sheer number of undocumented workers and our economy’s dependence on their underpaid, underappreciated labor should compel us to recognize and address the causes and effects of illegal immigration, not plug our ears and sing the Real ID Act’s regressive tune."

UnrealID: Another intelligent Skeptic:

UnRealID.com is sharply critiquing realID. Go here for suggestions about how to take action. Some quotes:

"The Real ID Act requires that you give your permanent home address: no PO boxes; no exceptions. What about judges, police, and undercover cops? Oops!!! Hey Senators, let's endanger our police and judges!!!"

"Bars swiping licenses to collect personal data on customers will be just the tip of the iceberg as every convenience store learns to grab that data and sell it to Big Data for a nickel."

CNET's FAQ on RealID:

CNET explains how the law will affect you. Some quotes:

"Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you'll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service. Practically speaking, your driver's license likely will have to be reissued to meet federal standards."

"What's going to be stored on this ID card?
At a minimum: name, birth date, sex, ID number, a digital photograph, address, and a "common machine-readable technology" that Homeland Security will decide on."

"Why did these ID requirements get attached to an "emergency" military spending bill?
Because it's difficult for politicians to vote against money that will go to the troops in Iraq and tsunami relief."

Bruce Schneier (who knows!) on Real ID:

Schneier's article is here. He says:

"The United States is getting a national ID card ... I've already written about national IDs. I've written about the fallacies of identification as a security tool. ... Aside from those generalities, there are specifics about REAL ID that make for bad security. ..."

Read the whole article!

National ID Card Draws Fire!

AP Story reported at Wired.

"New driver's license rules tucked in a military spending bill will create national identification cards for Americans and stick state governments with the bill, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said Tuesday.

Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, joined Democrats and state officials in railing against the White House-backed driver's license rules and other immigration measures before the Senate approved the $82 billion spending bill 100-0. ..."

Can't help noticing those congressmen complained, then voted for it. I can imagine the states taking their case to the Supreme court, saying the law is unconstitutional. "Then why did your congressman vote for it?" ask the justices.