This is a story that has largely flown under the radar this summer, but it may be coming to a head as we approach the midterms. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Biden administration has been working on developing a new form of identification card that they would be able to issue to migrants found crossing the southern border, including illegal immigrants. The plan is known as the Secure Docket Program and it would allow the issuance of a federal ID card to migrants including their name, a photo, their nation of origin, and a scannable QR code. The code would allegedly allow them to check the status of their immigration processing or asylum request online. As a counter to this plan, New Jersey Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew previously submitted a bill of his own called the No IDs for Illegals Act. But no real progress on advancing the bill has been seen yet. (GovTrack Insider)

The Biden administration’s ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) is developing a new type of identification card for immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Called the Secure Docket Program, each card would include the person’s name, photo, nationality, and a QR code linking to an online portal where they could access information such as their next scheduled hearing date with an immigration court…

The No IDs for Illegals Act would ban federal funding for Biden’s possible planned Secure Docket Card identification system for undocumented immigrants, before it even gets off the ground.

It was introduced in the House on July 29 as H.R. 8632, by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ2).

So what would this new ID card allow migrants to do? For one thing, the cards would be considered a valid form of identification by the TSA so they could board a plane. I suppose that might be somewhat better than letting them board planes using an arrest warrant as their identification, which still happens sometimes today. But it’s not much better.

Supporters of this plan claim that they aren’t really trying to legitimize the presence of illegal aliens in the country. (Perish the thought.) They simply want the migrants to be able to ensure they don’t miss their court dates so they can be processed through the system more efficiently. What could possibly go wrong?

According to Van Drew and others who oppose these new ID cards, plenty can go wrong. First of all, this entire system will be funded by the taxpayers. Why should such expenses be incurred for the benefit of people who entered the country in violation of our laws? And rolling this entire plan out will obviously bring additional costs that haven’t even been estimated yet.

More to the point, giving someone a federal identification card immediately bestows an impression of “authorization” upon them. Anyone checking that ID who is not familiar with the system might immediately assume the person is legitimate and legal because they hold a federal ID card. The cards could be accepted when applying for public benefits not authorized for illegal aliens.

The card is not designed to enable people to vote, but concerns have been raised that it might wind up being used that way. After all, we have a hard enough time keeping track of the voting rolls for actual citizens. What will happen at the county election office when someone rocks up with this federal ID in their hands? If there is no home address on the card, that might cause them to be rejected, but replacement cards with addresses probably won’t be too far off in the future if this program is approved.

Of course, Van Drew’s bill likely has no shot at ever seeing daylight as long as Democrats control the House. None of them would vote for any legislation with the word “illegals” in the title. (You’re supposed to say “undocumented” now, remember?) And with no checks on Biden’s ability to mandate changes like this, there’s little prospect for success. As soon as they can get the “Secure Docket Program” online, they will probably be pumping out ID cards as fast as the printers can manage without burning up.