San Francisco: Immigration Sanctuary

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors expects approval of a bill mandating that identification cards be made for all residents of the city, including illegal immigrants, on Tuesday. LA Times writer, Maria La Ganga, wrote that while this may be big news elsewhere, people expect nothing less from ultra-liberal San Francisco.

The proposition may, however, be big news for San Francisco’s large illegal immigrant population. The new bill would help immigrants to prove residency and gain easier access to services offered by the city or businesses. Supervisor Tom Ammiano has also spoken with local banks that will allow the ID cards to be used to open accounts. The proposed ID cards can be used as valid proof of identification at all city departments or companies with city contracts, unless state or federal law requires other forms of identification.

Ammiano argues that the ID cards may also encourage undocumented immigrants to report crimes that they witness or experience. Authorities have stated that there are likely many crimes that go unreported merely because the witnesses or victims fear deportation.

The ID card bill is not the first legislative action that San Francisco has taken to create an immigrant sanctuary. The city has already refused to offer funds or aid of any type to the progression of immigration raids. Ammiano believes that local undocumented immigrants contribute greatly to the economic condition of the city, stating, “Without the hard work of a lot of people who are residents but not citizens, we wouldn’t have a successful tourism or hotel industry.”

This type of immigration policy may someday make it to our neck of the woods. Executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Angelica Salas called the proposition a “fabulous idea.” She believed the measure to be a step towards the recognition “that there are actually people who live and work in that city who should not be ignored.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-idcard19nov19,1,6845649.story?ctrack=7&cset=true