Papers, Please? Senate Pushes Biometric Social Security Cards
By aaroncynic in News on Apr 21, 2010 7:30PM
The latest futuristic Orwellian toy sold to the public to fight illegal immigration and make Americans feel “safe” is getting new life in the debate ramping up on immigration reform. In addition to draconian legislation passed recently in Arizona essentially legalizing racial profiling, a bipartisan effort in the Senate is pushing for new biometric Social Security cards to link to the federal E-verify software system.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed a system where a Social Security card would be scanned and matched to a fingerprint or “some other personal biometric” data. Employers would scan the cards of new hires, which would provide proof of legal status. Refusal to cooperate could mean fines and jail time.
The e-verify system already has problems. The Tribune report highlights the story of Karen Peisker, a native Chicagoan who had to prove to UPS she had the legal right to work in America nearly 25 years after she began working there. When she started using her married name, the system flagged her and Karen had to repeatedly bring her birth certificate, marriage license and passport to work. Karen’s incident isn’t an isolated one. Four percent of legal workers have been flagged for potential fraud, forcing them to prove their identity and the system failed to flag illegal workers more than half the time.
Aside from logistical problems, the privacy and civil liberties concerns are downright frightening. No matter how “fraud proof” a form of identification is, willing crooks will find a way around the system. Even though Senators Schumer and Graham have attempted to assuage fears of a national ID card, opponents have been fighting attempts at pacifying public concern since the REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005. In an interview with the Tribune, Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the ACLU pointed out the dangers of such an ID saying “We think that card would quickly spread to other purposes, from voting to gun ownership to travel, and it will really be a permission slip for participating in American life.”