Institute for Public Accuracy
REAL ID Act -- Increasing or Decreasing Security
Fri Feb 11, 2005 03:46
64.140.158.43
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 10, 2005
2:00 PM
CONTACT: Institute for Public Accuracy
Sam Husseini, 202-347-0020
David Zupan, 541-484-9167
REAL ID Act -- Increasing or Decreasing Security
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0210-10.htm
WASHINGTON -- February 10 -- The House of Representatives has begun debate on the "REAL ID Act of 2005" (HR 418) and may vote as early as Thursday. The following people are available for interviews:
JUDITH GOLUB, jgolub@aila.org , via Julia Hendrix, jhendrix@aila.org , http://www.aila.org
Available for a limited number of interviews, Golub is senior director of advocacy and public affairs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She said today: "This bill includes, among other provisions, the asylum, driver's license, and inadmissibility-removal provisions that were wisely stricken from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 before Congress passed it and it was enacted into law. These controversial measures will not make America safer, but they will make our highways more dangerous [by increasing the number of uninsured, unlicensed drivers] and our country less secure, prevent people fleeing from persecution from obtaining asylum, and impose guilt by association."
NANCY TALANIAN, ntalanian@bordc.org , http://www.bordc.org
Talanian is director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. She said today: "Sending refugees who have fled torture, rape, and other brutal human rights abusers back to their tormenters and deporting long-term residents for charity contributions they made long ago will not make Americans safer from terrorism. Yet sections of H.R. 418 would do just that."
Talanian added: "One section enables a judge to deny a refugee asylum if she is unable to track down specific documents that corroborate her claims -- even if the U.S. State Department confirms that the country from which the refugee has fled never provides the documents -- and bars other judges from reversing their determinations because the corroborating evidence is not available."
TALAT HAMDANI, talat@peacefultomorrows.org , http://www.peacefultomorrows.org , http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3068112/site/newsweek
Hamdani is a Pakistani-American living in Queens, New York. Her son, Salman, was a NYC police cadet who disappeared on 9/11 and was wrongfully accused of participating in the attacks. When his body was identified at the WTC months later, it was believed that he had gone to the scene to provide help. Hamdani has since been active in immigrant issues arising from the 9/11 attacks. She said today: "The bill's sponsors contend that this measure is necessary to enhance our nation's security. Rather, it will make our highways more dangerous, undermine our security, and impose guilt by association. Further, it will prevent some people fleeing persecution from obtaining refuge."
MARJORIE COHN, libertad48@san.rr.com , http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/020905X.shtml
A professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and executive vice president of the National Lawyers Guild, Cohn wrote the new piece "Lady Liberty Under Attack" about the proposed legislation. She said today: "Under the REAL ID Act, a person would be deportable unless she could show 'by clear and convincing evidence' that she did not know the group she was supporting was a terrorist organization under the law's extremely opportunistic definition of that term. Since it is almost impossible to prove lack of knowledge, this standard would make it nearly impossible for an innocent immigrant to defend herself against deportation. This would, for example, allow the deportation of an immigrant who donated money for tsunami disaster relief in the Aceh province of Indonesia, not knowing the organization that received funds had a subgroup the Department of Homeland Security considered terrorist."
Cohn added: "One of the most heinous parts of this bill is section 102, which would empower the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend any and all laws in order to ensure the 'expeditious' construction of a set of barriers and roads to keep illegal immigrants out. Then, it prohibits any judicial review of the Secretary's decision to suspend any law. What laws could the Secretary of Homeland Security suspend? Environmental and labor laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, National Forest Management Act, and the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws and the right to organize and bargain collectively."
###
=====================================
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: House approves electronic ID cards: aka National ID Card, Violation of Constitutional Liberties and State's Rights charged!
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 02:23:06 -0600
From: blueridge blueridge@wirefire.com
Very clever. White House drums up talk on Social Security on the right hand while the left hand rams (without ANY MEDIA COVERAGE TIL AFTER THE FACT) "PATRIOT ACT" III bill on American public. What about the constitution? What about State's rights? Talk about Judicial Activism.....what about Executive and Congressional activism! This is Federalization of States, and beginning of Martial Law -- internal passports, KGB and Gestapo papers plus the all seeing eye of DARPA tracking all info on every citizen all the time--pre-booked as criminal suspects by their local DMV!! Alot of help the media is, hiding important legislation (they know is controversial) until AFTER its done. Public pressure was "managed" again.
"... charged that Republicans were becoming hypocrites by trampling on states' rights. "I thought the other side of the aisle extols federalism at all times," Norton said. "Yes, even in hard times, even when you're dealing with terrorism. So what's happening now? Why are those who speak up for states whenever it strikes their fancy doing this now?"
_____________________________________________
http://www.news.com/
House approves electronic ID cards
By Declan McCullagh
http://news.com.com/House+approves+electronic+ID+cards/2100-1028_3-5571898.html
Story last modified Thu Feb 10 17:46:00 PST 2005
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses.
Under the rules, federal employees would reject licenses or identity cards that don't comply, which could curb Americans' access to airplanes, trains, national parks, federal courthouses and other areas controlled by the federal government. The bill was approved by a 261-161 vote.
The measure, called the Real ID Act, says that driver's licenses and other ID cards must include a digital photograph, anticounterfeiting features and undefined "machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements" that could include a magnetic strip or RFID tag. The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.
Republican politicians argued that the new rules were necessary to thwart terrorists, saying that four of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers possessed valid state-issued driver's licenses. "When I get on an airplane and someone shows ID, I'd like to be sure they are who they say they are," said Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, during a floor debate that started Wednesday.
States would be required to demand proof of the person's Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person's date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store "so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format" permanently.
Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers' licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers' histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.
The Bush administration threw its weight behind the Real ID Act, which has been derided by some conservative and civil liberties groups as tantamount to a national ID card. The White House said in a statement this week that it "strongly supports House passage" of the bill.
Thursday's vote mostly fell along party lines. About 95 percent of the House Republicans voted for the bill, which had been prepared by the judiciary committee chairman, F. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican. More than three-fourths of the House Democrats opposed it.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat from Washington, D.C., charged that Republicans were becoming hypocrites by trampling on states' rights. "I thought the other side of the aisle extols federalism at all times," Norton said. "Yes, even in hard times, even when you're dealing with terrorism. So what's happening now? Why are those who speak up for states whenever it strikes their fancy doing this now?"
Civil libertarians and firearm rights groups condemned the bill before the vote. The American Civil Liberties Union likened the new rules to a "de facto national ID card," saying that the measure would force "states to deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants" and make DMV employees act as agents of the federal immigration service.
Because an ID is required to purchase a firearm from a dealer, Gun Owners of America said the bill amounts to a "bureaucratic back door to implementation of a national ID card." The group warned that it would "empower the federal government to determine who can get a driver's license--and under what conditions."
Copyright ©1995-2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
FEBRUARY 10, 2005
2:00 PM
CONTACT: Institute for Public Accuracy
Sam Husseini, 202-347-0020
David Zupan, 541-484-9167
REAL ID Act -- Increasing or Decreasing Security
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0210-10.htm
WASHINGTON -- February 10 -- The House of Representatives has begun debate on the "REAL ID Act of 2005" (HR 418) and may vote as early as Thursday. The following people are available for interviews:
JUDITH GOLUB, jgolub@aila.org , via Julia Hendrix, jhendrix@aila.org , http://www.aila.org
Available for a limited number of interviews, Golub is senior director of advocacy and public affairs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She said today: "This bill includes, among other provisions, the asylum, driver's license, and inadmissibility-removal provisions that were wisely stricken from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 before Congress passed it and it was enacted into law. These controversial measures will not make America safer, but they will make our highways more dangerous [by increasing the number of uninsured, unlicensed drivers] and our country less secure, prevent people fleeing from persecution from obtaining asylum, and impose guilt by association."
NANCY TALANIAN, ntalanian@bordc.org , http://www.bordc.org
Talanian is director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. She said today: "Sending refugees who have fled torture, rape, and other brutal human rights abusers back to their tormenters and deporting long-term residents for charity contributions they made long ago will not make Americans safer from terrorism. Yet sections of H.R. 418 would do just that."
Talanian added: "One section enables a judge to deny a refugee asylum if she is unable to track down specific documents that corroborate her claims -- even if the U.S. State Department confirms that the country from which the refugee has fled never provides the documents -- and bars other judges from reversing their determinations because the corroborating evidence is not available."
TALAT HAMDANI, talat@peacefultomorrows.org , http://www.peacefultomorrows.org , http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3068112/site/newsweek
Hamdani is a Pakistani-American living in Queens, New York. Her son, Salman, was a NYC police cadet who disappeared on 9/11 and was wrongfully accused of participating in the attacks. When his body was identified at the WTC months later, it was believed that he had gone to the scene to provide help. Hamdani has since been active in immigrant issues arising from the 9/11 attacks. She said today: "The bill's sponsors contend that this measure is necessary to enhance our nation's security. Rather, it will make our highways more dangerous, undermine our security, and impose guilt by association. Further, it will prevent some people fleeing persecution from obtaining refuge."
MARJORIE COHN, libertad48@san.rr.com , http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/020905X.shtml
A professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and executive vice president of the National Lawyers Guild, Cohn wrote the new piece "Lady Liberty Under Attack" about the proposed legislation. She said today: "Under the REAL ID Act, a person would be deportable unless she could show 'by clear and convincing evidence' that she did not know the group she was supporting was a terrorist organization under the law's extremely opportunistic definition of that term. Since it is almost impossible to prove lack of knowledge, this standard would make it nearly impossible for an innocent immigrant to defend herself against deportation. This would, for example, allow the deportation of an immigrant who donated money for tsunami disaster relief in the Aceh province of Indonesia, not knowing the organization that received funds had a subgroup the Department of Homeland Security considered terrorist."
Cohn added: "One of the most heinous parts of this bill is section 102, which would empower the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend any and all laws in order to ensure the 'expeditious' construction of a set of barriers and roads to keep illegal immigrants out. Then, it prohibits any judicial review of the Secretary's decision to suspend any law. What laws could the Secretary of Homeland Security suspend? Environmental and labor laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, National Forest Management Act, and the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws and the right to organize and bargain collectively."
###
=====================================
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: House approves electronic ID cards: aka National ID Card, Violation of Constitutional Liberties and State's Rights charged!
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 02:23:06 -0600
From: blueridge blueridge@wirefire.com
Very clever. White House drums up talk on Social Security on the right hand while the left hand rams (without ANY MEDIA COVERAGE TIL AFTER THE FACT) "PATRIOT ACT" III bill on American public. What about the constitution? What about State's rights? Talk about Judicial Activism.....what about Executive and Congressional activism! This is Federalization of States, and beginning of Martial Law -- internal passports, KGB and Gestapo papers plus the all seeing eye of DARPA tracking all info on every citizen all the time--pre-booked as criminal suspects by their local DMV!! Alot of help the media is, hiding important legislation (they know is controversial) until AFTER its done. Public pressure was "managed" again.
"... charged that Republicans were becoming hypocrites by trampling on states' rights. "I thought the other side of the aisle extols federalism at all times," Norton said. "Yes, even in hard times, even when you're dealing with terrorism. So what's happening now? Why are those who speak up for states whenever it strikes their fancy doing this now?"
_____________________________________________
http://www.news.com/
House approves electronic ID cards
By Declan McCullagh
http://news.com.com/House+approves+electronic+ID+cards/2100-1028_3-5571898.html
Story last modified Thu Feb 10 17:46:00 PST 2005
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses.
Under the rules, federal employees would reject licenses or identity cards that don't comply, which could curb Americans' access to airplanes, trains, national parks, federal courthouses and other areas controlled by the federal government. The bill was approved by a 261-161 vote.
The measure, called the Real ID Act, says that driver's licenses and other ID cards must include a digital photograph, anticounterfeiting features and undefined "machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements" that could include a magnetic strip or RFID tag. The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.
Republican politicians argued that the new rules were necessary to thwart terrorists, saying that four of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers possessed valid state-issued driver's licenses. "When I get on an airplane and someone shows ID, I'd like to be sure they are who they say they are," said Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, during a floor debate that started Wednesday.
States would be required to demand proof of the person's Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person's date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store "so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format" permanently.
Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers' licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers' histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.
The Bush administration threw its weight behind the Real ID Act, which has been derided by some conservative and civil liberties groups as tantamount to a national ID card. The White House said in a statement this week that it "strongly supports House passage" of the bill.
Thursday's vote mostly fell along party lines. About 95 percent of the House Republicans voted for the bill, which had been prepared by the judiciary committee chairman, F. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican. More than three-fourths of the House Democrats opposed it.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat from Washington, D.C., charged that Republicans were becoming hypocrites by trampling on states' rights. "I thought the other side of the aisle extols federalism at all times," Norton said. "Yes, even in hard times, even when you're dealing with terrorism. So what's happening now? Why are those who speak up for states whenever it strikes their fancy doing this now?"
Civil libertarians and firearm rights groups condemned the bill before the vote. The American Civil Liberties Union likened the new rules to a "de facto national ID card," saying that the measure would force "states to deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants" and make DMV employees act as agents of the federal immigration service.
Because an ID is required to purchase a firearm from a dealer, Gun Owners of America said the bill amounts to a "bureaucratic back door to implementation of a national ID card." The group warned that it would "empower the federal government to determine who can get a driver's license--and under what conditions."
Copyright ©1995-2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
- National ID will threaten privacy of gun owners —Gun Owners of America, Fri Feb 11 14:21
- House approves electronic ID cards - State's rights violate —blueridge/news.com, Fri Feb 11 14:20
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