A US federal agency will hand out free identification cards this summer to migrants who entered the country illegally in an effort to “streamline” immigration processing.
After years of consecutive record-breaking illegal immigration to the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning a program to give migrants free identification cards.
The agency hopes the ICE Secure Docket Card program will modernize the documentation workflow for immigrant removal proceedings that has long plagued the organization.
According to a reportThe program will be rolled out this summer and will begin with the distribution of approximately 10,000 identification cards.
Images obtained by Fox News Digital shed light on the Biden administration’s planned ID card for illegal immigrants as officials look for ways to track the number of migrants being released into the US
Record levels of migrants entered the US illegally in 2023, according to ICE data
ICE confirmed that the program aims to “modernize the documentation provided to some non-citizens,” but added that the cards will not function as a legitimate form of identification.
“While details of the card and the pilot are still in development, it is important to note that the secure card will not be an official form of federal identification,” an agency spokesperson told Fox News.
“The secure card indicates it is for use by DHS agencies and would only be issued after national security background checks have been completed.”
Federal officials have criticized the current state of the documentation program that migrants are subject to when they enter the US
Generally, migrants who cross the border and are released into the U.S. are issued paperwork detailing their asylum claims or immigration status.
ICE officials have said the paperwork could pose a security threat because it can easily be lost and deteriorate as migrants navigate through the country.
The new plastic ID cards would make that process more efficient, ICE argues, and could also streamline the identification process used by the agency.
“Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials, while reducing the agency’s FOIA backlog,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News.
“For provisionally released non-citizens, the digital modernization will provide continued access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.”
However, despite the positives touted by ICE and DHS, the program has sparked outrage among some lawmakers.
The program was first reported in 2022, but the IDs will be officially rolled out this summer
Migrants who have crossed into the U.S. from Mexico are awaiting processing by federal officials
“Instead of spending time, energy and taxpayer dollars closing the gaps in our southern border, the Biden administration is getting ready to hand out ‘migrant ID’ cards to illegal aliens, making it easier for them to to take advantage of American citizens. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., Posted on X Friday.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., similarly posted on X: “ICE plans to start issuing ID cards to illegal aliens this summer. More evidence that Biden is trying to make illegal legal.”
It is unclear exactly when the ID program will be rolled out this summer.
Officials from ICE and DHS did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives introduced a measure that would ban illegal immigrants from voting in U.S. elections by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and has received support from Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
“We all know – intuitively – that many illegal aliens vote in federal elections,” Johnson said this week before conceding. “But it’s not something that’s easy to prove.”
Still, Republican lawmakers have worked hard to ensure that the massive influx of migrants entering the U.S. in recent years does not affect the election.
On Wednesday, the House narrowly passed a measure that would add a citizenship question to the U.S. census to prevent illegal immigrants from influencing the allocation of congressional districts and electoral votes.
Asylum-seeking migrants line up at the border as they wait to be transported by US Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico into the US
“Taking into account the number of non-U.S. citizens when determining how many congressional seats and electoral votes each state has distorts the representation of Americans in their federal government,” said Rep. Chuck Edwards, Illinois, who introduced the bill in January. said in a statement.
“The mere presence of illegal immigrants in the U.S. affects election outcomes, and the Equal Representation Act the House passed would protect our democracy by ensuring that American citizens – and only American citizens – have a say in determining the direction of our country. Edwards continued.