Joe Biden's administration began a pilot program to issue temporary identification cards to illegal immigrants who are waiting for a final decision on their cases. This week, some images were leaked that show what the document will look like. It will contain a photo, a QR code and the illegal immigrant's personal information. The project is known as ICE Secure Docket Card and was first revealed by Fox News.
Previously, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials explained that the decision was made because immigrants are currently given a document from the federal government about their immigration status. These paper documents pose a security risk because they can easily get lost or damaged which complicates these processes.
"The card could be used to check in and schedule reporting meetings with ICE. The agency hopes that it can be used in the field to easily verify an alien’s identity and to see if they are deportable," explained Fox News, which was the first news outlet to report on the program.
The governor of Florida and primary candidate, Ron DeSantis, spoke out about Biden's policy and claimed that it is not a good idea because it would grant benefits to people who crossed the border illegally:
This Biden border invasion has led to asinine ideas like giving illegal aliens ID cards and allowing blanket work waivers to those coming here illegally.
This Biden border invasion has led to asinine ideas like giving illegal aliens ID cards and allowing blanket work waivers to those coming here illegally.
As President, I will put a stop to the chaos at the southern border once and for all.https://t.co/2ORwAnN56u
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) September 21, 2023
The ICE ID will "modernize documentation provided to some non-citizens"
Several conservatives are concerned that the card will incentivize illegal immigrants to cross the border. However, Fox News asked ICE about this and was told that the ID will not be an official form of federal identification and will only be able to be used for DHS agencies.
An ICE spokesman told Fox News, "The ICE secure docket card concept is a pilot program that would modernize documentation provided to some non-citizens."
Customs and Border Protection's encounters with illegal immigrants have increased by at least 300% since 2020, which was the last fiscal year recorded by President Donald Trump's administration.
According to a report released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were 2.7 million encounters with illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2022, the highest total since fiscal year 2020, when there were 646,000 encounters.
