Sadly, some state government agencies do accept this card, and some states allow this "identification" to be used to issue legitimate state identifications and drivers licenses (could be wrong here). Not even considering TSA, this is not good, as to get this card in Mexico you do not have to provide any proof of who you claim you are, simply pay a fee.

I agree with you, no agency should accept it, and if a TSA employee recognizes it, the person will be reported to a LEO.

Well I'm sure states no longer accept this Mexican ID card as a basis of getting an American driver's licence or ID card. Mainly due to the REAL ID Act (but they used to in the past, which is just as bad).

Lol, I did some searching on google, have you seen this website? http://americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/...arShamIDs.html

The FAQs are funny.. (and I wouldn't doubt that they're not at least half true)

You may agree with it, and some organization might put it on their website, but that doesn't make it so.

That doesn't make acceptance of the card a crime. The document is issued for legitimate diplomatic reasons.

Very well.

Exactly. Most unlawfully present aliens don't have credit records.

What he was given (Deferred Action) is discretionary indeed and one of the criteria is, in essence, how the case would play in the press.

Do they issue such cards in Mexico? I'm not sure why anyone would get one there.

Yes. Without losing a moment's sleep.

Do you know how many people in the Philippines and India would love to come to the U.S.? The problem is that they can't just walk over the border.

Why do Hispanics from Mexico and Central America receive that benefit?

We have a legal immigration procedure. If you want to immigrate, use it.

Note that if I just walked across the border into Mexico and started working, they would throw me in jail.

Apparently it's a one-way street from Mexico to the U.S.

You clearly do not understand the economics on the border states from illegal immigration.

Absolutely! I worked in the US for many years, and (my company) spent thousands of dollars on attorneys and visa fees, so why do they get to skip that process? And looking at it from the Mexican perspective, like you said, they have even tougher immigration laws which will absolutely throw you in jail if you start working there illegally.

They're not issued for a legitimate diplomatic reason.. The Mexican government isn't issuing them to track their citizens in the event of a major catastrophic event.. The Mexican government is issuing them for the sole purpose of facilitating the illegal activities of its citizens inside the United States.

That's the legitimate diplomatic reason to issue them. (Another would be consular notification in the event of arrest . . . I recall that someone who didn't have the benefit consular notification was put to death recently).

That's how the IDs are used and most probably the motivation for their issuance. But just because the IDs are overwhelmingly used by unlawfully present aliens as a general-purpose indentification card does not make the issuance of the card illegal and does not take away the fact that there is a legitimate diplomatic reason for the issuance of such a card (even though that is not the actual motivation behind the country's issuance of the card).

The notion that accepting the card is a crime is simply false because the cards provide no information as to a holder's legal status in the United States. (They can be issued to legally-present Mexican nationals as well though, I imagine few use them).

I don't particularly like the Matricula Consular because of the way they are used-- and I certainly wouldn't accept it for any purpose-- but that doesn't mean they are illegal for someone else to accept (something that nutty website says).

I don't like it when people inject politics into interpretation of the law.

Lol.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...ml#post9605187 .

If you are "illegal" don't fly in the USA, period.

I'm an accountant, not an attorney, but I would imagine that in the eyes of the law, presenting one of these cards creates the presumption of being illegal (probable cause to investigate your immigration status?)

Logically, legal Mexican residents have no use for the card, as they are eligible for US-issued identification.


Also - if the Mexican government wants these cards to be considered more "secure", and accepted in more places, they should issue them responsibly. First of all, by verifying a person's actual identity, and only issue them to people with provable legal status in the respective country (USA).

As an American (and its basically the same thing here in Canada), you cannot get a driver's licence, health card, passport, etc., without proving who you say you are.

Neither the Canadian or US governments issue such "consular cards" to its citizens living abroad, but they do register citizens abroad who wish that.

Though the quantum of proof is low (basically unverifiable), and no special ID card is issued, they do ask for your immigration status in the country of question, and "illegal" isn't a choice.

I would say it does not give probable cause but cetainly gives reasonable suspicion for authorized officials to investigate status. I wouldn't say it carries any presumptions (as a matter of law) other than that a person is a Mexican national. As a practical matter, most officials encountering such a card assume that the person presenting it is unlawfully present.

Perhaps for consular notification or to obtain services of the consulate.

With respect to the first part, verification of identity, there would be nothing wrong with that. The Mexican government did actually try to make them more "secure" a few years ago, but that was really just a design upgrade and some claim that they were vetting them better (an assurance that I don't really credit).

With respect to the second part, issuing the card only to those who can prove legal presence here, that would partially defeat the legitimate diplomatic purpose of the card: To identify Mexican nationals in the United States who are entitled to Mexican consular services and protection. Because those unlawfully present in the United States are still entitled to consular services and protection, it would make no sense not to issue these cards to such persons.

Right.

If the USA or Canada wanted to issue such documents, they could. They choose not to.

That is the choice of the United States and Canada but not the choice of the Mexican government.

The easiest solution is a Washington State drivers license - no proof of immigrant status is needed. If you have friends or family in WA, just use their address for proof of state residency (you'll need a utility bill in your name).

I understand what your saying - on paper (legally), the cards issued are legitimate. They basically found a loophole in the Vienna Conventions the same way that tax evaders find loopholes to avoid paying taxes.

I'm sure though, that unofficially, both within the Mexican government and the general public, these cards are issued to facilitate their citizen's day-to-day life while living undocumented in the country of question.

Unlawfully present immigrants are entitled to consular services and protection, and nobody is going to deny them that right, but that doesn't require "the issuance of an ID document". A simple registration and acknowledgement from the consulate is sufficient.

They only issue those cards in Mexico, as I understand it, but perhaps their consulate offices issue them as well. As to why someone would get one, it should be obvious. They either live in the US illegally, or plan to do so, and need/want a document to be able to open a bank account, rent an apartment, etc, and then come across the border illegally, as so many thousands do each year.

As of May 2011 - a handful of months ago - Durham, NC, was moving forward to accept this identification as valid, thus, it would enable people who had it to get a drivers license. I didn't keep up with it, and am not sure if this was passed into law.

But if Durham was planning on accepting this un-verifiable identification, we can be sure that other cities/states were too. San Fransisco comes to mind, and trying to think back to what I read, the Matricula Consular Card may be an acceptable for of identification there, too. Anyone care to look it up?

Sorry, missed this somehow: they are NOT issued for any legitimate diplomatic reason. They are issued so their citizens can illegally live in and get service in a foreign country.

They should never be accepted, by any institution, based upon the following FBI testimony to Congress in 2003:

http://www2.fbi.gov/congress/congres...craw062603.htm

This is the most worrisome, to me, from the testimony; quote: "Fourth, in some locations, when an individual seeking a Matricula Consular is unable to produce any documents whatsoever, he will still be issued a Matricula Consular by the Mexican consular official, if he fills out a questionnaire and satisfies the official that he is who he purports to be."

In other words, if you can lie fairly well, then you get a Matricula Consular Card.