ISSUE: Consulate Cards
What is a Consulate Card?
Many ask: What is a Consulate Card and what is the concern? It is issued by foreign nations to their citizens who are traveling within the USA. The use of these cards has historically been questioned, as all foreign nationals legally in the USA should have a visa and, therefore, they do not need another form of ID while in the country. Roughly two dozen nations currently issue these cards, and many more are considering using them.
There are several problems with the Consulate Card. First of all, it is not a reliable source of identification. It is very easy to obtain, and grants the holder a "valid" appearing ID.
For example, one version of this card is the "Matricula Consular", given out at Mexican Consulate offices across the nation, including the one in Salt Lake City. Very few questions are asked of anyone seeking to obtain this card. Any photo ID will do. Photo ID's accepted include a library card, a membership card to Sam's Club, even a health club, or gym.
During a recent trip to the Salt Lake Mexican Consulate, members of Ufire were shown a stack of forged documents people had tried to use to obtain a Consulate Card. We asked what the consulate staff does when they catch someone trying to use an obvious forged document to obtain a Consulate card, they told us nothing, the person is instructed to go out and obtain a better document
Foreign governments are lobbying our elected leaders to accept these Consulate cards as valid forms of identification. However, the very government agencies that issue them do not consider them to be valid forms of identification. For example, if a Mexican citizen obtains a card in California, that card is not valid in Utah, and they have to pay another $25.00 at the Salt Lake City consulate office to obtain a card valid for here. Banks and other government institutions within Mexico do not accept these cards for people trying to use them as identification. So why should we be expected to accept them in our country?