El Paso County designates funding for community ID

El Paso County commissioners voted Thursday to earmark $320,000 towards the creation of a program to issue Community IDs for county residents. The vote was 4-1 with Commissioner Andrew Haggerty voting against it.
The ID card would be available for undocumented immigrants, homeless, youth, elderly and members of the LGBT community, according to discussions held by commissioners during May.
“Too many residents in El Paso County lack traditional forms of photo identification, but now, our community is one step closer to providing all of its residents with similar benefits,” said Commissioner David Sout in a statement.
Prompted by the Border Network for Human Rights, the County and the City of El Paso have been studying the possibility of offering identification cards for residents who don’t have other IDs.
Commissioner Sout said in May it could affect around 50,000 people in the area. The City estimated 11,000 residents within the city limits would be affected.
The program would be pricey. County estimates to start the program run from $400,000 to $800,000.
During a presentation to city representatives in April, city staff estimated users would have to pay $50 per card. If the process were to include a background check, the cost would go up to $100 per card.
“If $100 is what it is, you know then if it is valuable to them they will do it,” said City Representative Lily Limon.
But card users wouldn’t be the only ones paying. County and city governments would have to set aside tax dollars to implement the programs.
The county took the first step Thursday by setting aside $320,000 for next year’s budget.
In April, city staffers suggested council designate $250,000 from the general fund to pay for the program. Council asked the staff to come up with other recommendations.
Stout called on city council to work with the county to implement the program “and follow our lead in making sure the remaining portion of the funding is available when we are ready for roll-out.”
Proponents of the card have said Texas drivers licenses or Texas IDs may be too cumbersome to obtain for those who legally qualify for them. As ABC-7 has reported, the residents who don’t qualify for them, including undocumented immigrants from Mexico, have access to the Matricula Consular, an official document issued by the Mexican Consulate that is accepted as a form of ID by several banks in El Paso and even the El Paso and Sheriff’s office.
For Stout, it is about providing options.
“Communities across the United States are taking the initiative to offer their residents municipal or community photo IDs to bridge the gap between local law enforcement and the public, to enhance accessibility to services, to create greater space for economic mobility, and to integrate their communities more fully.”