El Paso’s City Council to look for Municipal ID partnership

After nearly a year an a half after promising it would tackle the issue, the El Paso City Council discussed a potential municipal ID program.

Council members on Tuesday were presented with the research and findings from Community and Human Development Department Director Veronica Soto. The 31-page report outlines who would benefit from these ID cards.

Advocate Robert Heyman, with the Border Network for Human Rights, said people who don’t have IDs should have a way to get one.

“Think about what your life would be like if you didn’t have your driver’s license in your pocket. Would you feel comfortable just going around town? would you feel comfortable interacting with a police officer if you didn’t have a good way to ID yourself?” Heyman asked.

A focus group found that these cards would benefit undocumented immigrants, homeless individuals, youth, elderly individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

The services that would become available to these municipal ID card holders would include: identification for law-enforcement purposes, emergency purposes, banks, utilities, hospital/healthcare, schools, obtain birth certificates, library, public transit.

According to the presentation, the cost for operations would include a $50 fee for the card, plus a background check that would add an additional $50 per ID.

However, on Tuesday council members said a background check does not appear necessary. “Who asked you to check on the cost of background checks?” City Rep Lily Limon sternly asked Soto.

When Soto said it was City Rep. Emma Acosta who had made the request, Acosta quickly set the record straight. “I did not ask that background checks be part of the program. I only wanted her to find out if they were required.”

“If $100 dollars is what it is, you know then if it is valuable to them they will do it,” City Representative Lily Limon told ABC-7.

Advocates have argued current IDs can be too expensive or cumbersome to obtain. State IDs cost $16, but requires proof of identity and citizenship.

Non-citizens may obtain a “matricula consular,” an official ID issued by Mexican consulates which identifies Mexicans living abroad. It costs $26. Some law enforcement agencies do not accept it as a form of identification, but the El Paso Police does accept it as a form of ID to report a crime.

Non-personnel costs include a building lease, equipment, furniture and costs of technology infrastructure and operation costs. It would cost the city $236,754 from the General Fund, which would be repaid over five years from the general fund.

If city council moves forward with the plan, El Paso would be the first city in Texas to offer municipal IDs. Other cities like New York and San Francisco already do.

The City is going to look into partnerships with other organizations and cost sharing and decide what to do after that. County Commissioner David Stout wrote to council and also spoke on Tuesday, supporting the ID. He said he couldn’t speak for the county but believed there was support to partner with the City for the program. He said he’d place the item on the Commissioners agenda.

Congressman Beto O’Rourke and State Senator Jose Rodriguez also sent letters of support, said Limon.

“We are looking for (financial) commitments,” said Mayor Oscar Leeser of the supoort.