The Biden administration is working towards a program that would provide temporary I.D. cards to unauthorized immigrants awaiting final decisions on their cases. The administration hopes to receive support and approval from Congress before the end of September. Many unauthorized immigrants do not have I.D.s. making it hard to access necessities such as transportation, housing, and healthcare.
The temporary I.D. would be provided to individuals not in detention centers who illegally crossed the U.S.- Mexico border or others without legal status going through immigration or removal court processes. The I.D. card would have a QR code providing access to important information such as court information and documents through an app. The QR code could help immigration authorities minimize the increasing number of FOIA requests they receive. Further, The I.D. would allow unauthorized immigrants to prove to authorities they are already in the immigration system. These I.D.s would allow individuals to virtually check in rather than waiting in line at an ICE office. Also, unauthorized immigrants would be able to provide more accurate information, such as their location, to authorities. These I.D. cards could be presented to TSA agents which would allow unauthorized immigrants to travel.
The I.D. card would be secure containing a photo of the individual and biographic information. Currently, the program is still under development. This would not be the first time the Biden administration has tried using mobile apps in immigration. Last year, border officials began using an app to process asylum seekers at the border.
If you or anyone you know needs information on how to obtain an I.D., please get in touch with Pikes Peak immigration to schedule a consultation today.