Councilwoman wants city ID cards for undocumented Philadelphians
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A Philadelphia City Councilwoman wants the city to issue ID cards for some undocumented residents of the city.
Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez’s proposal would authorize the city to issue a municipal ID card based on several specified documents, including one from the applicant’s foreign consulate.
“The federal government’s inability to do immigration reform has impacted cities,” Quinones Sanchez said at Thursday’s Council meeting. “I think our ability to provide a municipal ID to to recognize the importance and the value of these folks are an important step in saying we acknowledge this community.”
The councilwoman said the ID wouldn’t necessarily be for illegal aliens.
“Many of the folks who are here did not enter illegally,” Quinones Sanchez said. “They were born here, so this is about documenting who is here and identifying who they are.”
Quinones Sanchez said if the ID cards are approved, she hopes they might be used for anything from Voter ID to obtaining a marriage license or registering for schools. Only American citizens would be entitled to vote.
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Air Date: March 20, 2025 12:00 pm
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