In your opinion: Is a biometric National ID the solution to the immigration problem?

Question

The govt. claims these RFID chipped cards will be "fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant, wear resistant, and machine readable".

Does anybody actually think this is a good idea?? RFID is the technology that is used to track packages etc. to an exact location on the planet.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/29/national-id-card-included_n_557721.html

The Democratic proposal includes increased money for border patrol and drug war agents, equipment, helicopters and unmanned drones. It would create a national ID -- which is dubbed a "biometric social security card." Though Democrats insist that it is not an ID card and can only be used for employment purposes.............The crackdown on employers relies on the creation of national identity cards. "These cards will be fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant, wear resistant, and machine-readable social security cards containing a photograph and an electronically coded micro-processing chip which possesses a unique biometric identifier for the authorized card-bearer," reads the bill summary.

Answer 1

Absolutely not - the cost in terms of personal freedom is too great, the problem being that for such an ID system to be effective carrying the card would have to be compulsory and the police would have to have the power to stop you at any time and ask for your ID - which sounds an awful lot like a legal system that presumes guilt rather innocence, i.e. the citizen must prove to the police that they're not guilty of a crime (i.e. illegal immigration), rather than the other way around (innocent until proven guilty). It was for this reason that ID cards were abandoned in the UK following WW2.

If carrying an ID card wasn't compulsory - and if the police didn't have the right to demand your ID and arrest you if you didn't produce it - what would be the point? Any illegal immigrant could just say "oh, I've forgotten my card" and that would be that. Do you really want to live in a country where the police can arrest you for not carrying your ID card?

Besides that, biometric ID card systems also require a biometric ID database to be built - all your details would be held in one place to be perused by any number of governement officials. Mistakes are also likely to be made in the administration of such massive databases - you could end up with criminal records you don't deserve. For example, I was stopped by the police in the UK a few years ago for not having car insurance because the police database that the police have access to here hadn't been updated by my insurance company when I bought a new car. This was a lot of trouble and I was even threatened with arrest for not accepting the results of their database search. This is obviously a minor example, but under a biometric database system far greater irregularities could occur.

For more information go to http://www.no2id.net/

Answer 2

I have no problem with it. However, it won't be as tamper proof as they would like. But, its the next logical step.



Anyone working for or receiving benefits from the government should submit a blood sample for registering their DNA too. This would cut the fraud down a lot and make it easier to verify that the Id a person presents is indeed the same as the blood sample in the database. And of course, upon anyone being arrested, not only should finger prints be taken to search a database and photos taken, a blood sample should also be taken and compared also.

Answer 3

Not doubt it would be a help in solving the problem of illegal immigration, but I would rather live with illegal immigrants than have a national ID card that would allow the government to keep track of us.

Answer 4

I believe a tamper proof National ID and strict enforcement with real penalties on employers who hire illegals will solve most of the problem.

Answer 5

No I have a drivers license and that doesn't stop immigrants from coming over the border undocumented. I fail to see what putting a chip in it is going to do. Whoever came up with that is pretty much a moron.

Answer 6

Another Bush idea supported by democrats...you throw away your vote no matter what these days.

Answer 7

No, it isn't.



That's just another intrusion into the lives of honest Americans.

Answer 8

No.



We have E-Verify; make its use mandatory, then DEPORT and PERMANENTLY BAN from citizenship those who are here illegally.

Answer 9

It would be *part* of the solution, but it doesn't go far enough--if others had their way.

Answer 10

No.



I'd have to oppose this stupid idea with every fiber of my being.