San Francisco to give illegal aliens ID cardsTue Nov 20, 2007 7:27pm EST
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco will
give resident identification cards to illegal
immigrants under a plan approved on Tuesday amid
a fierce nationwide debate on granting privileges
to undocumented aliens.
In a 10-1 vote, the city's board of supervisors --
the equivalent of a city council -- approved giving
identification cards to all residents, including
illegal immigrants. The move makes San Francisco
the largest U.S. city to back such a plan.
Residents will be able to obtain the resident cards
by presenting photo identification and proof they
live in the city, such as a utility bill. It was
unclear if the new cards, which will be accepted at
libraries and health clinics, will carry photos.
Such a move had been expected from San Francisco,
which is famously liberal. Earlier this year, Mayor
Gavin Newsom said he would not allow city officials
and employees to assist immigration raids by federal
authorities seeking up people who had committed
crimes or disregarded deportation orders.
-snip-