Biometric ID and Immigration Reform

Obama Backs Senate Immigration Bill Requiring All U.S. Workers, Both Citizens and Immigrants, to Obtain Biometric Social Security Cards

Obama gives thumbs-up to immigration bill outline, says legislation is next step

March 18, 2010

Associated Press - President Barack Obama, facing criticism from advocates of immigration reform, pledged Thursday "to do everything in my power" to get immigration legislation moving in Congress this year. Obama said work on an immigration bill should move forward based on an outline released Thursday by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"A critical next step will be to translate their framework into a legislative proposal, and for Congress to act at the earliest possible opportunity," Obama said.

The outline calls for illegal immigrants to admit they broke the law, pay a fine and back taxes, and perform community service if they want to get on a pathway to legal status. They would also be required to pass background checks and be proficient in English ...

Obama met Thursday at the White House with Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, the sponsors of a House immigration bill. Gutierrez said later he agreed to vote for Obama's signature domestic bill, health care reform, only if an immigration bill advanced quickly and with a presidential imprimatur. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus also endorsed the health care bill.

"I'm committed to voting for this health care bill on that basis," Gutierrez said. "I want the president to be in lockstep with us, which I believe he was during the campaign."

White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said there was no quid pro quo involved in the White House's dealings with Gutierrez.

Other parts of the Schumer-Graham outline include:

· Giving legal permanent residence to people who graduate with doctoral or master's degrees from U.S. universities.

· Adopting zero tolerance for illegal immigrants who commit crimes and expanding enforcement of immigration laws.

· Creating a flexible legal immigration system that brings in more low-skilled workers when jobs are available and fewer in a recession.

· Requiring all U.S. workers — citizens and legal immigrants — to get fraud-proof Social Security cards with a biometric identifier.

National ID Card for All Legal Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan

Under a potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information.

March 9, 2010

The Wall Street Journal - Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card (see next story) which all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.

The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.

"It's the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking," Mr. Schumer said in an interview.

The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive.

"If you say they can't get a job when they come here, you'll stop it."

The biggest objections to the biometric cards may come from privacy advocates, who fear they would become de facto national ID cards that enable the government to track citizens.

"It is fundamentally a massive invasion of people's privacy," said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "We're not only talking about fingerprinting every American, treating ordinary Americans like criminals in order to work. We're also talking about a card that would quickly spread from work to voting to travel to pretty much every aspect of American life that requires identification."

Mr. Graham says he respects those concerns but disagrees.

"We've all got Social Security cards," he said. "They're just easily tampered with. Make them tamper-proof. That's all I'm saying."

U.S. employers now have the option of using an online system called E-Verify to check whether potential employees are in the U.S. legally. Many Republicans have pressed to make the system mandatory. But others, including Mr. Schumer, complain that the existing system is ineffective.

Last year, White House aides said they expected to push immigration legislation in 2010. But with health care and unemployment dominating his attention, the president has given little indication the issue is a priority.

Rather, Mr. Obama has said he wanted to see bipartisan support in Congress first. So far, Mr. Graham is the only Republican to voice interest publicly, and he wants at least one other GOP co-sponsor to launch the effort.

An immigration overhaul has long proven a complicated political task. The Latino community is pressing for action and will be angry if it is put off again. But many Americans oppose any measure that resembles amnesty for people who came here illegally.

Under the legislation envisioned by Messrs. Graham and Schumer, the estimated 10.8 million people living illegally in the U.S. would be offered a path to citizenship, though they would have to register, pay taxes, pay a fine and wait in line. A guest-worker program would let a set number of new foreigners come to the U.S. legally to work.

Most European countries require citizens and foreigners to carry ID cards. The U.K. had been a holdout, but in the early 2000s it considered national cards as a way to stop identify fraud, protect against terrorism and help stop illegal foreign workers. Amid worries about the cost and complaints that the cards infringe on personal privacy, the government said it would make them voluntary for British citizens. They are required for foreign workers and students, and so far about 130,000 cards have been issued.

Mr. Schumer first suggested a biometric-based employer-verification system last summer. Since then, the idea has gained currency and is now a centerpiece of the legislation being developed, aides said.

A person familiar with the legislative planning said the biometric data would likely be either fingerprints or a scan of the veins in the top of the hand. It would be required of all workers, including teenagers, but would be phased in, with current workers needing to obtain the card only when they next changed jobs, the person said.

The card requirement also would be phased in among employers, beginning with industries that typically rely on illegal-immigrant labor.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn't have a position on the proposal, but it is concerned that employers would find it expensive and complicated to properly check the biometrics.

Mr. Schumer said employers would be able to buy a scanner to check the IDs for as much as $800. Small employers, he said, could take their applicants to a government office to like the Department of Motor Vehicles and have their hands scanned there.

Creating a Success of Biometrics in Government

September 25, 2008
Federal Computer Week

Report Format: PDF
Date Published: 25-Sep-08
Product Type: Premium Report
Product Code: dmtc2201
Table of Contents:
View Table of Contents (see below)

Overview

Introduction

Biometrics has become widely used by governments across the globe, most prominently in passports but also in various other situations. This has created numerous opportunities for vendors of all kinds. However, while there are myriad opportunities available, it is important for vendors to maintain an element of caution as there are a number of potential hurdles.

Scope

· Biometrics have multiple ways in which they can be used in government
· Public buy-in is crucial to the success of any biometric's implementation
· Choosing the right biometric is a minefield
· Operational processes need to be right for biometrics to be a success

Report Highlights

Biometrics are becoming increasingly prominent within governments across the world. This report assesses the trends that are occurring and how vendors can make a success of the opportunities available.

Reasons to Purchase

· Understand the challenges facing governments and how biometrics can be used effectively
· Learn what will make vendors competitive within the market

Overview
Catalyst
Summary
Key Messages
· Biometrics have multiple ways in which they can be used in government
· Public buy-in is crucial to the success of any biometric's implementation
· Choosing the right biometric is a minefield
· Operational processes need to be right for biometrics to be a success

Table of Contents

MARKET OPPORTUNITY
· Biometrics can be used in multiple ways in government
· Governments are increasingly installing biometrics in passports and ID cards
· Biometrics are seen as a way to manage the identity of government employees
· The intelligence community is finding an increasing number of uses for biometrics
· Using biometrics, especially in developing countries, enables effective registration
· Governments now view biometrics as an intricate part of security and identity management
· The enthusiasm of the US government for biometrics has helped to drive its growth globally
· HSPD-12 has kick-started the domestic US biometrics industry in government
· Biometrics in ePassports are now seen as essential by nearly all governments globally
· Outside government there are a number of inhibitors to the adoption of biometrics
· A significant proportion of the public are exerting pressure on government to refrain from using biometrics
· Governments to date have a poor record of holding onto data
· The number of false positives and false negatives is falling but is still of concern
· How easily biometrics codes can be cracked is still a significant worry
Most governments across the globe are looking at biometrics, but there are differences
· North America
· Europe
· Rest of the world
Technology Evolution
The different types of biometrics have advantages and disadvantages
- Fingerprints
- Iris
- Voice
- Face
· A strategic approach is needed to overcome any technological difficulties of biometrics
· The use of multiple biometrics are likely to shore up any flaws
· Biometrics are likely to be most successful used in conjunction with other technologies
· The development of standards in all types of biometrics is vital
· Customer Impact: Having Realistic expectations of BIOMetrics
· Governments must not forget that biometrics are not going to prevent security failures
· Biometrics are not the 'holy grail' solution to preventing identity fraud and security breaches
· Governments must not raise expectations of biometrics
· Governments must focus on their sales strategy of ID cards to the public
· The public must see a real benefit in order for them to come round to the idea of biometrics
· Vendors have a self-interest in ensuring governments have smooth operational processes
· Often the problems that can occur with biometric projects are not linked to the technology
Competitive Landscape
· HP
· LG
· Merkatum
· Unisys
Go to Market
· Vendors need to show conservatism towards some large scale investments
· Imagination is required by vendors to help governments make the most of biometrics
· Governments need help selling biometrics to the public
· There is a need for government and vendors to work together on operational processes
APPENDIX
List of Figures
Figure 1: Assessment of negatives and positives of different types of biometrics
Figure 2: SWOT analysis of Bio-key
Figure 3: SWOT analysis of Hewlett-Packard Company
Figure 4: SWOT analysis of LG Group
Figure 2: SWOT analysis of Merkatum
Figure 6: SWOT analysis of Unisys

Let’s Pass on PASS ID!

January 7, 2010

AxXiom for Liberty - There is good news and bad news on the REAL ID front . . .

• The good news: 46 states were not in compliance with REAL ID by December 31, forcing DHS Secretary Napolitano to extend the deadline to May, 2011 – and there’s no sign the states have any intention of complying with it by then.


• The bad news: the Senate could pass REAL ID’s equally-bad replacement, the PASS Act, this month.

Please tell Congress to oppose the PASS Act and instead repeal the REAL ID Act with NO replacement.

You may copy or borrow from the following letter . . .

The refusal of states to comply with REAL ID has led to its virtual nullification. This rebellion was one of the few bright spots of the past decade. Indeed, I hope the states get into the habit of opposing federal intrusion.

However, I realize the states opposed REAL ID primarily because of costs and technological problems. While these are valid concerns, the main reason I oppose REAL ID is because I value my privacy and freedom.

I therefore ask that you ignore the requests of governors and other state politicians to replace REAL ID with the S. 1261, the PASS Act. While the PASS Act does give the states more flexibility and financial aid, it still fails to guard my privacy or keep me safe. Here are just some of PASS ID’s problems (from http://www.realnightmare.org/about/114/):

• It requires innocent Americans to provide a broad array of identity documents, snarling them in long lines and bureaucratic red tape.


• By requiring storage of identity documents like birth certificates in a central location for even longer periods than Real ID, PASS ID will cause identity theft.


• PASS ID permits “enhanced drivers’ licenses,” which contain long-range radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, which can be used for tracking by anyone with a reader.


• If passed, the PASS ID will likely be expanded to serve other purposes, like riding a bus, purchasing a gun, or registering to vote.

The PASS Act will impose new burdens on the American people and actually make us less safe.

I therefore insist that you oppose the PASS Act. I also demand that you repeal REAL ID and replace it with nothing.