DALY CITY, California, United States—Just over six months ago, San Francisco put into effect an ordinance that provides its residents with municipal identification cards, the SF City ID Card.The intention of the ordinance, which was approved by the city’s Board of Supervisors and Mayor Gavin Newsom in November of 2007, is to enable its large population of illegal immigrants the opportunity to receive a photo form of identity, allowing them to legally gain some much-needed traction in their lives. This proof of residency not only assists San Francisco’s immigrant community, but also acknowledges the existence of those who are homeless and transgender, as well as children. The SF City ID Card ensures certain privileges for residents with no other forms of identity, such as access to opening a bank account (at the participating seven credit union/banks), and serves as an important resource for employers who use an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (also known as an I-9 form) to confirm the identity of prospective employees. In contrast, the foggy enclave that sits directly below San Francisco continues to act as a virtual mirage for immigrants. With a population at an estimated 100,000 (one-third of them Filipino-Americans), Daly City has yet to implement any type of identification policy for those in need, especially Filipinos who are considered by their own to be “TNT” (short for “tago nang tago,” meaning always hiding). Similar to San Francisco, Daly City is an expensive and culturally diverse city that would benefit from having access to such a card. “I think an identification card would help a lot of different communities,” said David Campos, the San Francisco supervisor for District 9. “Certainly the immigrant communities like the Latino community, the Filipino community, the Chinese-American community. So I think it would be very beneficial.” Campos, who was an illegal immigrant upon his arrival from Guatemala at the age of 14, said that the demand for identification cards in the city has been tremendous. Since its inception in mid-January, there have been well over 2,000 cards issued, which comes out to costing the city an estimated $800,000. San Francisco supposedly intends to issue 15,000 cards at a rate of roughly 50 per day. “Obviously, we don’t have any jurisdiction over Daly City but hopefully that city will decide to follow along with San Francisco and other cities are now doing it,” Campos said to FilAm Star. “I think Oakland is exploring it…It has worked pretty well here.” The illegal immigrants in Daly City who were interviewed for the article requested to have their last names withheld, but for the most part, welcomed the chance to having access to the same type of identification cards being issued across the city border. “I think it’s a great idea,” said Michelle, a middle-aged Filipino woman who said that she has lived in Daly City for three years. “I didn’t know about that though. I never heard of it until now.” Along with the chance to open a bank account, the identification card would also allow residents access to public libraries and homeless aid, along with using the card for discounts at some city businesses. Another Daly City FilAm, who asked to be called “Tony,” said that he is currently looking for employment but that it’s next to impossible, considering he has no legal documentation. “If the ID cards would help me get a job and a bank account, then I’m all for it,” said Tony. “My wife and I are struggling right now so anything will help.” Campos believes that the services the card provides are invaluable to those with no legal form of photo identity. “I think the main thing is that it allows people who are not able to get some basic services because they don’t have identification to do that,” said Campos. “It allows people to do things as basic as cashing a check…I think people take for granted how critical it is to have a form of identification.” The issuance of the SF City ID Cards, however, is not without its opponents, who think that San Francisco has become a haven for illegal immigrants, and that the city is essentially endorsing the hiring of illegal immigrants. All they would need is an SF City ID Card as well as a fake social security card and a new job is theirs for the taking. At that point, the fake documentation could then be used by those who live outside San Francisco to gain an identification card in the city, which is an invaluable starting point (or breeding document), and might result in the city spending more of its money on municipal assistance for them. Daly City Mayor Sal Torres, and FilAm Vice Mayor Mike Guingona could not be reached for comment. While financial prudence is certainly a big factor, one Daly City public official said she believes that implementing an identification program is of no real concern to the city’s inhabitants. In a phone interview city manager Patricia Martel said: “To the best of my knowledge I’m not aware that we have had any identified need to provide any kind of city-issued ID card. I don’t think most people are even aware of such a thing. I’ve never heard anyone come to the council and say, ‘I think we need this.’ So while there may be undocumented people who feel like they have a need for it, they have not appeared before the council members. Honestly, I can’t tell you that we’ve had any curious thought of doing this.” | 
