State, county and city officials may soon again be allowed to accept identification cards issued by foreign consulates, as long as the IDs meet certain security standards. It’s up to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey whether to strike a decade-old law banning them.
The bill would once again make consular IDs valid in the eyes of the state, as long as the issuing foreign government takes fingerprints and does retina scans of each holder.
Hear Arizona Republic Reporter Rafael Carranza Talk Consular IDs With Host Mark Brodie On The Show
Mexican consular IDs have these security features, said Jorge Mendoza Yescas, Mexico’s consul general in Phoenix. He said Ducey should give much weight to the economic ties between Arizona and its southern neighbor when making his decision.
“Since he gives this high consideration to the relationship with Mexico, there is a great, great, great chance that he’ll sign the bill,” he said.
Arizona barred state and local officials from accepting consular IDs in 2011.
State Rep. Cesar Chavez said lawmakers then were driven by security concerns, SB 1070, and a false fear that undocumented people could use the IDs to get public benefits.
“At the end of the day, this does help a huge population of individuals. The very same population that has been hindered by the state legislature in the past 10 years,” he said.
Chavez is cosponsor of the bipartisan bill that would make consular IDs valid again.
The governor’s office says Ducey is reviewing the legislation.
