Hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the nation's biggest city can now obtain identification cards — hailed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as "the gateway to city services" — that can be used to open a bank or credit union account and get residential benefits.
De Blasio's
IDNYC program officially began Monday.
"IDNYC is not only a card for all New Yorkers, it is the gateway to city services, the key to opening a bank account or getting a library card, and the ticket to many of our city’s finest cultural institutions," the mayor's statement declared.
"More than that, this card represents who we are: New Yorkers who value equality, opportunity and diversity. Today, we are launching the most ambitious, dynamic and useful municipal ID program in the country, which will have a real and tangible impact on the lives of all New Yorkers."
The program was a
campaign promise of the mayor— and came under immediate attack from the Foundation for American Immigration Reform, which contends such cards "aid and abet illegal immigration" as well as possibly terrorism.
It was
approved by the City Council in June.
The cards, which look similar to a driver's license, are available to anyone over age 14 who can prove residency in the city. An applicant's immigration status won't be asked.
"It's going to open so many doors," de Blasio said in unveiling the new cards at library in Queens, the
Daily News reports. "We don't want any New Yorkers to feel like second class citizens."
Offered free this year, the cards will have a fee in 2016, the Daily News notes.
"It's a beautiful card but really what's beautiful about it is what it stands for," de Blasio said. "It stands for everyone being respected, everyone being included."
More than 500,000 immigrants without legal status live in New York City, the
International Business Times reports.
"I’m encouraging all my constituents to apply for an IDNYC card, and I’m particularly excited about the positive impact the program will have within our immigrant communities, from Chinatown to neighborhoods all across the city," Councilwoman Margaret Chin said in a statement, the International Business Times reports.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.