Bill would block credit cards for illegals

[Dowple]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced legislation Monday that would prevent illegal immigrants from receiving credit cards from American financial institutions.
The Photo Identification Security Act would require banks to use what Blackburn calls "secure forms of identification" to obtain credit. In a statement put out by her office, she says that Bank of America "has come under fire in response to reports that it allows illegal immigrants access to credit cards without proper documentation. . . ."


http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/business/article/0%2C1426%2CMCA_440_5397139%2C00.html

[libertyman]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I doubt if both Houses of Congress will pass it...& even if it did, would our illegal-immigrant-supporting President sign it into law?

Don't make me laugh!

[MrSanity]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I doubt if both Houses of Congress will pass it...& even if it did, would our illegal-immigrant-supporting President sign it into law?

Don't make me laugh!If we get him high on drugs, he might do the right thing. :thumb:

[Rhino]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I doubt if both Houses of Congress will pass it...& even if it did, would our illegal-immigrant-supporting President sign it into law?

Don't make me laugh!:yeahthat:

[GrocerySacker]

Makes you wonder what kind of bank would give a credit card to an illegal alien in the first place.

[MrSanity]

Makes you wonder what kind of bank would give a credit card to an illegal alien in the first place.Bank of America... Tom Tancredo cut his mail-in credit card in half on the Glenn Beck Show on Headline News. It was quite an enthusiastic protest.

[Riverboat]

Makes you wonder what kind of bank would give a credit card to an illegal alien in the first place.I was wondering just the same thing. To my way of thinking, an institution should be allowed to give credit cards to anyone it wants, including illegal aliens. And good luck collecting the payments from them.

[Air-Warrior]

Heard on the radio yesterday that there's a small pizza chain that is now accepting Mexican Pesos as payment for their pizza.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16581765/

The poll at the end of the article is running about 2 to 1 against accepting Mexican Pesos at stores.

I'm ok with it as long as they're close (< 25 miles) to the Mexican border and the business owner wants to deal with the conversion hassle.

[Air-Warrior]

I was wondering just the same thing. To my way of thinking, an institution should be allowed to give credit cards to anyone it wants, including illegal aliens. And good luck collecting the payments from them.In a perfect world you'd be correct RB...

But credit cards are a form of ID here in America. I'm opposed for that reason, if no other.

[John Galt]

I ain't been able to find out what the "secure forms of identification" are in the Blackburn bill. Anyone got any details? The complaint I hear is that it is easy to get a real matrícula consular card with a fake Mexican birth certificate. But the truth is that it is even easier to buy a fake matrícula card. ($30 for illegal aliens, $40 for gringos). It seems logical that a more secure form of ID will just cost a little more to fake.

[Rhino]

I ain't been able to find out what the "secure forms of identification" are in the Blackburn bill. Anyone got any details?Good question. I can't find anything on what is actually in her bill. What really gets me about this is the premise. To my knowledge, there is no citizenship or residency requirement to obtain credit. I doubt they could ever implement one legally, since many foreigners have a valid need for establishing and using credit in America. That makes me curious as to what exactly she is expecting the banks to do.

In the article, Bank of America mentions that they "....follow the letter of the law in permitting customers to use the forms of identification permissible under the U.S.A. Patriot Act. That includes matricula consular cards issued by the Mexican government." That's a bunch of crap, because the Patriot Act does not specify what forms of identification must be used, and the final rules for the implementation of section 326 of that act state quite clearly that they have no intention of establishing such criteria. Instead, they simply say that financial institutions must "...implement reasonable procedures for (1) verifying the identity of any person seeking to open an account, to the extent reasonable and practicable..."
(http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/docs/326factsheet.doc).
Generally, this is only a requirement for name address, date of birth and a taxpayer ID number (either US or foreign). In fact, most procedures that outline such things specifically mention residence, and specifically omit citizenship.

Also, those requirements are specifically for establishing that the applicant is not on a terrorist watch list. It is not for verifying citizenship or residency status. So again, I'm really curious as to what Blackburn is trying to do here. The answer might be very interesting.

[Riverboat]

In a perfect world you'd be correct RB...

But credit cards are a form of ID here in America. I'm opposed for that reason, if no other.An ID is an ID. Having an ID doesn't necessarily confer citizenship, does it? If I'm wrong, I want to know. That way I can switch sides.

[Antigone]

Good question. I can't find anything on what is actually in her bill.

Here is the text of the bill.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1314:

As far as forms of ID for banks goes:

SEC. 3. FORMS OF ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

(a) In General- Section 5318(l) of title 31, United States Code (relating to identification and verification of accountholders) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following new paragraph: `(6) FORMS OF ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION- A financial institution may not accept, for the purpose of verifying the identity of an individual seeking to open an account in accordance with this subsection, any form of identification of the individual other than the following: `(A) SOCIAL SECURITY CARD WITH PHOTO IDENTIFICATION CARD OR REAL ID ACT IDENTIFICATION- `(i) A social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal Government or a State Government; or `(ii) a driver's license or identification card issued by a State in the case of a State that is in compliance with title II of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (title II of division B of Public Law 109-13; 49 U.S.C. 30301 note). `(B) PASSPORT- A passport issued by the United States or a foreign government. `(C) USCIS PHOTO IDENTIFICATION CARD- A photo identification card issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security (acting through the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).'. (b) Effective Date- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect six months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

[Johnnybegood]

I hope it happens..........

[John Galt]

Thanks Antigone...

[Tazeeyore]

Makes you wonder what kind of bank would give a credit card to an illegal alien in the first place.
The kind that will give them way more than they can pay back so they can raise interest rates for us who do pay on time every time. Follow the money.

[Rhino]

I hope it happens..........Maybe. Maybe not. This apparently would make it harder for anyone (including us) to get credit if their state does not comply with Real ID, and I'm not a big fan of Real ID. I agree something should be done, but I'm not so sure this is it.

[TheIrishman]

What is RealID? ID with a picture on it?

[Beowulf]

I support this bill and haven't read one response as of yet in this thread. Simply put, we all know these illegals will run up a bill and never pay it. Stop the problem before it starts.

[Riverboat]

Simply put, we all know these illegals will run up a bill and never pay it. That was my point, more or less, in my first post. Businesses stay in business by making money. Any business that would allow large numbers of people to walk the check is begging to be liquidated.

I didn't get my first credit card until I could show I had a steady income and bank account. Is this law a solution looking for a solution? The more I think about it, the more I get the sense this is more needless federal regulation.

As Bill O'Reilly would say, show me where I'm wrong.

[Patrick Henry]

I support this bill and haven't read one response as of yet in this thread. Simply put, we all know these illegals will run up a bill and never pay it. Stop the problem before it starts.

And guess who pays for the losses in the way of higher fees and interest? Yeah, the other customers - call them LEGAL customers.

That's a brilliant business plan. Increase your risk and alienate the vast majority of your customers at the same time. I guess any dumb@ss can run a credit card company...

[Lazarus]

And guess who pays for the losses in the way of higher fees and interest? Yeah, the other customers - call them LEGAL customers....Its a little more dangerous than that... Bank of America is a BANK... That means they have FDIC protection... They are offering credit cards to credit unworthy people and in doing so are putting our tax dollars at risk because the Federal Government is committed to covering a financial collapse of any such institution...

It is OUR tax dollars that are insuring this risky business on the part of Bank of America... If they pull it off, they get rich - if they fail, the American taxpayer pays the bill...

[Rhino]

What is RealID? ID with a picture on it?http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sctran/realidsummary05.htm
http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_ID_Act
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/leavitt/20050509.html
http://www.unrealid.com/what.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,249142,00.html
http://www.reason.com/news/show/33994.html

[Patrick Henry]

Its a little more dangerous than that... Bank of America is a BANK... That means they have FDIC protection... They are offering credit cards to credit unworthy people and in doing so are putting our tax dollars at risk because the Federal Government is committed to covering a financial collapse of any such institution...

It is OUR tax dollars that are insuring this risky business on the part of Bank of America... If they pull it off, they get rich - if they fail, the American taxpayer pays the bill...

That's right! Hmm.. how much do you want to bet that the time comes when the Federals will force 'banks' to replicate what Bank of America is doing or risk losing their FDIC protection???

:question:

[Lazarus]

That's right! Hmm.. how much do you want to bet that the time comes when the Federals will force 'banks' to replicate what Bank of America is doing or risk losing their FDIC protection???

:question:Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Dont give HIM any ideas... he may not have thought of that yet...