RESPONSE TO MAYOR WEBB’S ID CARD’S TO BE ISSUED TO ILLEGAL ALIENS

October 8, 2002

Mayor Wellington Webb thinks it’s a great idea to recognize identification cards issued by the Mexican Consulate, so that illegal Mexican immigrant residents of Denver can obtain access to City services otherwise denied to them. (Rocky Mountain News, October 4, 2002.)

As justification, he takes us back to Quigg Newton, a former mayor who set up the City’s first Commission on Human Relations, which, as far as I know, had nothing to do with protecting illegal immigrants… to 1947, when even many natural born Americans faced huge discrimination… then to the usual statistical nonsense that normally accompanies a half-baked justification.

The statistics aren’t just half-baked, they’re outright deceptive. The word, “Illegal,” never precedes the word, “Immigrant.” How many illegal immigrants start businesses? How many pay taxes? How many illegal immigrants even hold jobs that subject them to taxes?

Mayor Webb claims that the ID cards require a high degree of proof of identification for applicants. Of course, he doesn’t describe what he means by “high degree.” Would that be as high a degree as required for phony green cards, phony driver’s licenses, phony birth certificates, phony Social Security Cards, any number of fraudulent documents an enterprising individual can buy on Denver streets?

And then, so what?

An illegal alien with good identification only is a well-identified illegal alien, not to mention a well-identified breaker of Federal law, and a well-identified, unwarranted, irresponsible drain on limited City resources.

Countless immigrants gain access to the United States the honorable way… the hard way. They deserved to be granted every benefit and to take advantage of every opportunity offered by our country.

The mere ability to cross barren territory and jump high fences in the dead of night is hardly a qualification for ersatz citizenship – even if their friends are registered voters.