States flouting post-9/11 ID law, giving cards to illegal immigrants that mirror licenses

After the 9/11 attacks, Congress passed the REAL ID Act to prevent foreign nationals from fraudulently obtaining a U.S. driver’s license — by requiring that any ID issued based on unverifiable foreign documents look different in “design or color” from an official driver’s license.

 

That way, TSA and other law enforcement would know the ID holder might not be who they say they are.

 

But more than a decade later, several state and local governments are openly flouting the law, issuing ID cards that are barely distinguishable from a bona fide driver’s license. That means those with mere ID cards, like illegal immigrants, might be able to pass off their cards as a driver’s license at the airport and elsewhere — creating a huge gap in security.

 

Examples include Washington, D.C., and Colorado.

 

For card-holders in the nation’s capital, a small star in the corner is the only visual cue that distinguishes a D.C. license from a mere ID card.

 

In Colorado, the distinguishing characteristic for the ID cards is a small black band.

 

Read More: States flouting post-9/11 ID law, giving cards to illegal immigrants that mirror licenses | Fox News