matricula consular
Matricula Consular cards
Summary (posts follow):
The "Matricula Consular" is an ID card issued by the Mexican government to their citizens. It's actually an old form of ID that wasn't often used until recently, when that government decided to give it to the millions of illegal aliens from Mexico who live in the U.S. in order to make it easier for them to send their money home via remittances. That government then began a campaign to get banks, municipalities and others to accept their cards as ID. Make no mistake about it: these cards are almost entirely simply "IDs for illegal aliens". Legal immigrants have no use for the card since they have legally-obtained identification which they're required to carry.
The Mexican government - and their U.S. enablers - are generally coy about the use of the cards and will only say that they're given out without checking someone's immigration status. However, one of their consular officials did admit what their real purpose was.
Last modified Dec 15, 2008
Discussed in (click each link for the full post):
New York City Municipal ID card: profits for banks, cover for criminals and terrorists - 09/19/14
New York City has passed a law to give municipal identification cards to any qualifying resident of that city, regardless of immigration status [1]. Like similar efforts in other cities, the real goals include building up a political power base for politicians and enriching major banks.
In the case of the NYC card, they're specifically covering up for future criminals and terrorists. Here are some of the issues with the card:
ACLU, NILC sue Indiana over immigration law (Matricula Consular cards) - 05/25/11
The American Civil Liberties Union and National Immigration Law Center are suing Indiana over that state's Arizona-style immigration law; press release at [1].
1. The Indiana law apparently seeks to criminalize cards similar to the Matricula Consular card. I haven't read Indiana's law, but if what the ACLU implies is correct, then Indiana made a mistake. Instead of criminalizing in one way or another the use of the card, they should have just prevented it from being used as official identification. Of course, the ACLU lies: MC cards are basically only of use by illegal aliens. They refer to "...
Mitch Daniels is weak on Indiana immigration bill, apparently only supports least effective parts - 04/13/11
Indiana state Senator Mike Delph is trying to pass an Arizona-style immigration bill in that state [1]. In an interview [2], Indiana governor Mitch Daniels opposes the part of the bill that would allow police to ask about someone's immigration status during a "lawful stop, detention, or arrest".
While it's not exactly clear what specific parts of the bill Daniels opposes and supports [3], he appears to oppose the other law enforcement-related parts of the bill. Those would allow police who have someone in custody to check their immigration status with the Department of Homeland Security. And...
Harvard helps illegal alien deprive U.S. citizen of a Harvard education (Maria Sacchetti, Drew Gilpin Faust, Cleopatra Andreadis) - 06/12/10
The latest attempt to promote the anti-American DREAM Act is the case of a illegal alien [1] who's studying at Harvard and who might be deported after having been picked up by ICE while trying to fly from San Antonio back to Boston [2].
U.S. Post Office helping illegal aliens send money home (government corruption) - 06/11/10
From this:
Looking to capitalize on the growing remittance industry, largely fueled by illegal aliens sending money earned through illegal employment in this country, back home, the U.S. Post Office now offers a wire transfer service, but only to countries in Latin America.
The service, called Dinero Seguro (Sure Money) is being advertised in local post offices with posters showing a Latino family, along with the caption "for your wire transfer of funds back home."
He called their customer service line and was told that one acceptable form of identification was a Matricula Consular card, a...
Doug Irving /OCR, United Way help banks profit from illegally-earned money - 02/01/10
At the end of 2008, Arnold Schwarzenegger launched "Bank on California", a California state program that encouraged the "unbanked" to open bank accounts. Since the "unbanked" are largely illegal aliens and since their wages are earned illegally, California's governor is using state resources to help private companies profit from illegal activity.
Now, Doug Irving of the Orange County Register offers "Poorest of poor urged to use banks" (link) about an affiliated local effort called "Bank on Santa Ana" (bankonsantaana.ca.gov). In his report, he tells his readers nothing about the immigration...
The Economist in 2004: "More Mexicans, please" (promoted home loans to illegal aliens) - 12/14/09
I haven't looked into how much of the mortgage mess is due to financial institutions giving mortgages to low-wage workers, including illegal aliens from Mexico; for that, see Steve Sailer. Some but not all of it was, making the June 10, 2004 article from The Economist called "More Mexicans, please" (no author given; economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2752598) a cautionary tale about a) giving in to corruption, and b) trusting The Economist:
NATIVISTS in Texas and Arizona may still want to keep Mexicans out of America, but in the mid-west, far from the border, a growing...
"Bank on Los Angeles": city helps corrupt banks profit from illegal activity - 03/25/09
The City of Los Angeles recently announced a new public-private partnership called "Bank on Los Angeles" (bankonla.com) that's designed to help 10,000 low-income residents who don't have bank accounts ("the unbanked") open up accounts. It's also open to illegal aliens [1], and that means that Los Angeles City will be encouraging corruption by helping major banks profit from money that was earned illegally.
Schwarzenegger helps banks profit from illegal activity ("Bank on California") - 12/14/08
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has launched a program called "Bank on California" that seeks to give bank accounts to 100,000 of the "unbanked": those who currently don't have either a checking or savings account. However - right on their front page (bankoncalifornia.ca.gov) - the program states that it accepts as ID the Mexican government's Matricula Consular card, a form of identification that's basically only of use to illegal aliens.
In brief, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state of California are actively helping banks profit from money that was earned illegally.
Rep. Chris Cannon loses in Utah! (Jason Chaffetz) - 06/24/08
Illegal immigration-supporting hack and Republican Congressman from Utah Chris Cannon will lose the primary election to Jason Chaffetz. With over 80% of the votes counted at post time, Chaffetz leads 60% to about 40%, so it's safe to call.
There are about forty posts at this site mentioning Cannon; use the search function to see them all.
Nine Latin American consulates in New York area join to push immigration agenda inside U.S. - 06/17/08
The New York-area consulates from nine Latin America countries have joined forces in an effort called the "Coalition of Latin American Consulates in New York." From this:
...the group plans to work together on issues they consider common to their immigrant populations _ from holding informational "consular fairs" and public health screenings to meeting as a group with U.S. immigration officials.
Mexico admits: Matricula Consular ID cards are for illegal aliens (Elizabeth Llorente/North Jersey Record; ACORN?) - 06/09/08
Some years ago, the Mexican government found a new purpose for their old Matricula Consular ID card: indentification for illegal aliens.
Seven reasons Kos (DailyKos) can't be trusted on immigration (+Quinnipiac University poll) - 03/27/08
Can you trust Kos of DailyKos (Markos Moulitsas Zuniga) on immigration? No, you can't. For some of the reasons why, take a look at "The big immigration backlash in Connecticut" (dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/27/113830/115).
1. He fails to note that, before working for the city of New Haven, Kica Matos headed a group that is/was working with the Mexican government to pass out Matricula Consular cards in that city. As with New Haven's cards, the MC cards let illegal aliens open bank accounts and the like. The bottom line in this case is the bottom line: that makes it easier for illegal aliens...
Mexican official hits U.S. citizen while passing out Matricula Consular cards at public school? - 02/07/08
I don't know how much credence to give the possible assault charge discussed here, but a mobile Mexican consulate from their Santa Ana office held an event at a public school in San Juan Capistrano, California to pass out, among other forms of ID, Matricula Consular cards. Having to use one of those cards as ID is a very strong indicator of being an illegal alien.
An unidentified person who was apparently a Mexican government official told the Minuteman group they couldn't be there and couldn't take pictures.
Felipe Calderon explicitly wants Mexican consuls to meddle in U.S. immigration debate (non-profits) - 12/07/07
The only thing shocking about this is that he'd openly admit it:
[Today, Mexican president Felipe Calderon] asked his diplomatic representatives in the U.S. to participate in the public debate on immigration by appearing at public events, talking more to the media and working with nonprofit groups to promote Mexican immigrants' role in supporting the U.S. economy.
"The key is to neutralize this strategy of confrontation and discrimination that forms part of U.S. society's mistaken perception, and be able to newly focus arguments on the complimentary aspects of our economies," he said [to...
Mike Huckabee's immigration plan announced - 12/06/07
[UPDATES below]
Mike Huckabee has released his immigration plan (link). It has as few details but isn't as strong as Mitt Romney's immigration plan. It's also not as detailed nor as strong as Fred Thompson's immigration plan.
Chase, Citibank, Laredo National Bank get desk inside Mexican consulate in San Antonio - 11/21/07
From this:
The Consulate General of Mexico signed an agreement Monday with three U.S. banks that could make Mexican nationals more comfortable with the banking industry.
Chase, Citibank and Laredo National Bank will take turns each day manning a desk in the Mexican Consulate on Navarro Street [in San Antonio]. They will answer questions for Mexican nationals about financial services and products with the hope of eventually turning them into customers at area branches.
"In other areas of the U.S. — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago — we have had a presence in consulates for years," said...
San Francisco approves ID card; corruption in plain sight; Tom Ammiano? - 11/14/07
The San Francisco Supervisors have approved a city ID card for everyone, including illegal aliens (link). While this will be sold as either a wacky plan from the far-left or a common-sense solution, the more likely reason this was pushed through is hiding in plain sight:
[Bill author, supervisor Tom Ammiano] said banking institutions in San Francisco have signaled their willingness to accept the municipal ID card for the purpose of setting up accounts. He noted that people without bank accounts are frequently more vulnerable to theft and robbery.
Officials with the city's Bank on San...
Thanks, Huckabee: business at Little Rock Mexican consulate is booming - 11/13/07
Former Arkansas governor and current presidential candidate Mike Huckabee arranged for a Mexican Consulate to be built in Little Rock. And, business is booming! Per Jon Gambrell of the Associate Press (link):
...In its first six months, the Mexican consulate based in Little Rock has seen the number of citizens it serves a day rise from 50 to 120, said consul Andres Chao.
Mexican consul meddling in Irving Texas (Matricula Consular cards to prevent arrests) - 10/19/07
From this:
The Mexican Consulate wants to send mobile units to Irving [Texas] to issue identification cards [Matricula Consular cards] to illegal immigrants to try to save them from arrest and deportation.
Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said the ID cards could prevent only a few arrests, but he promised to meet monthly with Consul Enrique Hubbard Urrea to review any complaints ste
More proof GOP is corrupt, lacks differentiation from Democrats (Giuliani, Minuteman flyer) - 08/07/07
From this:
Rudy Giuliani's southwest political director [Chris Gulugian-Taylor] left a top position [executive director] at the Nevada Republican Party last year after breaking rules by advertising a Minuteman border patrol rally in internal GOP e-mails.
The notices publicizing a "Stop the Illegal Invasion" rally in October 2006 outraged some Hispanic Republicans in the state, who said they feared it would alienate voters in the nation's fastest growing minority group just weeks before elect
CNN/Youtube: Don't ask Mike Huckabee this question - 08/02/07
Dear CNN:
Please do not choose the following video for the upcoming GOP debates.
Mexican consul from Little Rock encourages advocacy for illegal immigration - 07/29/07
Andres Chao - Mexico's consul for their new outpost in Little Rock, Arkansas - visited Memphis and spoke to the "local Mexican community" at an event organized by the Hispanic Business Alliance:
...The office has faced heavy demand for Mexican passports and matricula consular identification cards since its official opening in April, he said.
Bank of "America" signs up customers at Dallas Mexican consulate - 07/16/07
The article "Mexican consul's biggest challenge is immigration" by Dianne Solis of the Dallas Morning News isn't as bad as other articles about a paper's local Mexican consul, but, as with the others, it avoids asking the tough questions, and it gives the consul an opportunity to make questionable statements unopposed. And, there's this:
The fastest-moving product [at the consulate] is the $37 matricula consular, a Mexican identification card, given at a clip of about 1,300 per week. But there are also birth and death certificates to issue. There are kiosks to spread the word on medical plans...
New York Times alludes to Mexican meddling via consulates (Little Rock) - 05/23/07
Randal Archibold of the New York Times offers "Debate Raging, Mexico Adds to Consulates in U.S." about Mexico's latest outpost, this one in Little Rock, Arkansas. Somewhat to my surprise, they actually include some of the downsides and question some of Mexico's motives although, of course, they don't go far enough. This is just a fly-in report, not investigative journalism:
Increasingly, [Mexico's consulates] are also acting as influential free agents in a broken immigration system that Congress is trying to overhaul. As the consulate that opened last month in Little Rock illustrates, the...
Janet Napolitano vetoes anti-Matricula Consular bill - 05/09/07
Continuing a trend of supporting illegal immigration, Arizona governor Janet Napolitano has vetoed a bill that would have helped prevent the use of Mexico's Matricula Consular ID card. That card is usually an indicator that the bearer is an illegal alien; legal immigrants have no use for such a card.
Bank of America loses contract over credit card for illegal aliens (Gaston County, NC) - 04/14/07
From this:
A controversial credit card program has led Gaston County leaders to reject Bank of America as the county's bank.
Gaston commissioners on Thursday declined to award a four-year contract for banking services to the Charlotte bank -- a decision that could cost the county about $120,000...
...[The credit-cards-for-illegal-aliens] aspect alarmed Gaston commissioners, who didn't want to support a company that supports illegal immigrants, said Mickey Price, the board's chairman a
"Minutemen Scare off Mobile Mexican Consulate" (Costa Mesa) - 04/01/07
Apparently a mobile Mexican consulate - from which our friends to the south distribute Matricula Consular ID cards - tried to set up shop at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Costa Mesa, California. A group of protesters from the Minuteman Project were apparently able to get enough support from the church members that the consul decided to pack up and leave after just a half-an-hour.
Illinois House approves driver's licenses for illegal aliens - 03/28/07
The Illinois House approved HR 1100 earlier today, which would give illegal aliens "driving certificates" which supposedly would (link to text):
clearly state on its face that it may not be accepted by any federal agency for any federal identification or other official purpose...
Bill Gates: "freedom of migration is a good thing" (also: Reuters misleads) - 03/21/07
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates - sounding like a cross between Vicente Fox and Martha Stewart - said the following in Mexico:
"I'm a big believer that as much as possible, and there's obviously political limitations, freedom of migration is a good thing."
He also supported immigration "reform".
Bob Barr takes Bank of America's side; did the ACLU get to him? - 03/02/07
Former Republican Georgia Congressman Bob Barr - also an advisor to the ACLU, a group indirectly linked to the Mexican government - comes out in support of Bank of America's credit card for illegal aliens in "Immigration indigestion" (link). He ends up sounding like Bill Press, and makes the same fundamental error as he did:
When word surfaced recently that some banks, such as Bank of America, were allowing individuals to open accounts, apply for credit cards and obtain home mortgages even though they did not possess a Social Security number, it was not Big Government Liberals who rose up in...
Bill Press is an idiot, Part #4832842 (Bank of America illegal alien credit cards) - 02/25/07
Bill Press is a radio (Jones Radio Network), TV, and newspaper pundit and the former chairman of the California Democratic Party. Via this he offers "Bank Of America Rejects English-Only Plastic". As with other things, discussing all the ways it's wrong would take too long.
Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis defiantly says won't cancel credit card for illegal aliens - 02/22/07
Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis has written an editorial for the Wall Street Journal explaining his side of the credit card for illegal aliens his bank offers. In yet another bone-headed move, it's subscriber-only. A large percentage of those who subscribe to that rag will probably already support their position; it's the rest of us he should be trying to hustle.
Let's help Katherine Mangu-Ward find some Reason - 02/20/07
Katherine Mangu Ward of Reason Magazine discusses Bank of America's credit card for illegal aliens in "Credit Where Credit Is Due" [1]. Let's help her with her thinking:
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Julien Ross, AFSC - 02/18/07
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition ("CIRC"; statewide coordinator: Julien Ross) is a five-year old group with 80 other organizations as members.
From this we learn:
The coalition is directed by representatives of 12 groups, including the Colorado Catholic Conference, Service Employees International Union Local 105, and the American Friends Service Committee.
The AFSC has an indirect link to the Mexican government. And, CIRC's site is hosted at AFSC's site. afsc.org/central/ImmigrantRights/CIRC.htm has a list of their demands:
* driver's licenses for all immigrants, regardless of status...
Wells Fargo knows many of its customers are illegal aliens - 02/14/07
The not-exactly-in-depth L.A. Times article "Banking on illegal immigrants" by E. Scott Reckard, David Streitfeld and Adrian G. Uribarri discusses the backlash to Bank of America's credit card for illegal aliens. It informs us:
"At face value the program seems to be problematic," said Russ Knocke, a [Department of Homeland Security] spokesman. "It seems to be lending itself to possibilities of perpetrating identity theft or creating more risk for money laundering."
...[Rep. Tom Tancredo] said he sent a letter to U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales and Department of Homeland Security...
Bank of "America": credit cards for illegal aliens - 02/12/07
Bank of America is currently offering credit cards to residents of Los Angeles County who only have ITIN numbers and who don't have either a social security number or a credit history. That strongly implies that those credit recipients are illegal aliens. Later this year the bank hopes to expand the program nationwide.
For those who don't understand why this is horrifically bad, this bank is indirectly profiting from unlawful activity. And, they're explicitly going after that market. If you're one of those people who don't agree this is bad, imagine some form of illegal activity that you...
John DeStefano linked to Mexico collaborators (CT governor race) - 10/27/06
New Haven mayor and Democrat John DeStefano [1] is running for governor of Connecticut against Republican incumbent M. Jodi Rell. DeStefano has several links to a New Haven group called "JUNTA for Progressive Action" [2], a group which is collaborating with the Mexican government. [3] That group also has links to several other organizations and community leaders.
Perhaps the closest link is that DeStefano's campaign manager is married to the head of JUNTA [4]:
Pahrump anti-illegal immigration ordinance; bucks rotting in the banks? - 10/12/06
The city of Pahrump Nevada - former home to Art Bell - is considering a "Hazleton-style" ordinance, but with the additional twist of trying to block banks from doing business with illegal aliens.
U.S. Federal Reserve to enable illegal immigration - 10/11/06
There's a lot of money to be made off illegal activity, and the U.S. Federal Reserve (FAQ) is trying to get a piece of the pie. The subscriber-only WSJ article "U.S. Banks Woo Migrants, Legal Or Otherwise" has this preview:
As U.S. leaders craft policies to curb illegal immigration from Mexico, the U.S.