In some cities, ID cards are used for a lot more

Associated Press

DETROIT

Identification cards issued by a growing number of U.S. cities to make it easier for immigrants living in the country illegally and poor people to open bank accounts and access social services are now being used as passes for anything from pharmacy discounts to free museum memberships.

And there’s hope they can make immigrants feel more at home amid the unwelcoming rhetoric of this presidential campaign season.

Pushed by immigrant advocates and others, the ID cards were introduced almost a decade ago in New Haven, Conn. San Francisco followed and expanded what the cards could do. New York City launched the country’s most-ambitious program last year. Detroit will soon become the latest city with a municipal IDs program.

“I think for me, it’s important to emphasize it’s not about immigration. It’s about building inclusive democracies and removing barriers in our communities,” said Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who helped lead the effort in her city.

Such programs accept many different types of documents, making it easier for immigrants, homeless people, ex-prisoners and others who might lack birth certificates or proof of residency to get IDs. Many are based on point systems allowing applicants to submit a combination of documents or cards. Those include U.S. or foreign passports, documents denoting service in the military, attendance at schools and completion of a prison sentence or community service program.

Detroit’s IDs program, set to launch this month, follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent deadlock on a decision effectively blocking an Obama administration plan to shield millions of immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation.

It also comes amid rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail, where Republican nominee Donald Trump proposed temporarily banning foreign Muslims from entering the country and vowed to build a wall along the Mexican border. Detroit is home to one of the biggest Arab-American communities in the U.S., and the city has a large and growing Hispanic population.