Carter Introduces Non-Citizen Identification Act

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Congressman John Carter (TX-31) today introduced H.R. 4073 the Non-Citizen Identification Act.  This bill is the second in a series of bills collectively titled the Secure America For Everyone (SAFE) Initiative aimed to address the most critical aspects of immigration reform including enforcement identification a non-citizen worker program and concluding with an overhaul of the current immigration process. 

“In order to control our immigration crisis we must be able to identify and track illegal aliens that are in the United States and we must stop the illegal buying and selling of Social Security numbers” Congressman Carter said.  “This second bill begins by making social security cards for American citizens biometric and tamper-proof.  These cards will be harder to duplicate and therefore harder for illegal aliens to obtain.”

The Non-Citizen Identification Act requires the Commissioner of Social Security to create a new Social Security card for citizens that incorporates biometric identifiers and tamper-proof safeguards.  The bill also requires illegal aliens to obtain a similar identification card and includes criminal penalties for those that do not cooperate.  In addition illegal aliens will be excluded from receiving Social Security benefits for work completed while residing illegally within the United States.

The Non-Citizen Identification Act follows the Non-Citizen Enforcement Act which requires that the Department of Homeland Security add an additional 2000 border patrol agents every year until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the borders have been successfully secured.  The Non-Citizen Enforcement Act requires state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce the current immigration laws.

The bill also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to post all warrants for absconding illegal aliens on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).  In addition the bill makes it a criminal offense rather than a civil misdemeanor to be in the United States illegally. 

The bill requires that the federal government provide reimbursements to state and local law enforcement agencies for costs associated with immigration enforcement by increasing State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funding from $460 million to $1.5 billion.  This bill will also increase maximum sentences for criminal aliens among other things.
 
The third bill which is scheduled to be introduced in the near future will implement a probationary Non-Citizen Worker program that requires illegal immigrants to admit they came to America illegally accept a criminal charge on their record but will allow them to stay and work within an accountable and effective employment system that does not offer a path to citizenship.

“Our country is facing an immigration crisis.  We need to create a system that respects the law shows compassion and makes sense” Carter continued.  “By addressing the concerns of identifying and tracking immigrants who enter out country illegally we are taking the next step to create sound immigration reform.”