WHEREAS, the Consul General of Mexico from San Francisco, Georgina Lagos, visited Hawaii in October 2002, and reported that an estimated 40,000 Mexicans and Mexican Americans currently live in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, during her visit, Consul General Lagos met with local government officials to discuss potential legal and immigration problems of Mexican nationals in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, as part of her discussions with government officials, Ms. Lagos encouraged recognition of the Mexican Consular identification cards as an official form of identification for Mexican nationals in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the identification cards, known as Matricula Consular cards, are issued by Mexican Consulate offices to Mexican citizens who can prove their nationality and identity by presenting an original birth certificate and photo identification card, or an election card with a photograph and thumbprint, or a passport, and proof of living in the United States for a minimum of six months; and

WHEREAS, each Matricula Consular card costs the applicant $29 and has a photo of the cardholder taken by the issuing Mexican consulate; the card also provides the cardholder's legal address and signature, a serial number, and is valid for five years; and

WHEREAS, Matricula Consular cards contain security safeguards designed to prevent falsification and tampering; and the cards do not enable cardholders to obtain government services for which they are not eligible, change their legal status, or avoid arrest by federal immigration authorities; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of cities now accept the Matricula Consular as official identification cards; and law enforcement offices and a number of banks also accept the newest form of the card, the Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad, as a sufficiently secure form of identification; and

WHEREAS, in December 2001, San Francisco officials predicted the official recognition and acceptance of the Matricula Consular card would save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in law enforcement costs because Mexican immigrants would be more likely to report crimes and cooperate with law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, official acceptance of the Matricula Consular card allows cardholders to present their card for more routine uses such as proof of age, opening a bank account, or obtaining a library card; and

WHEREAS, with the acceptance by a number of United States banks of the Matricula Consular card as an official form of identification, Mexican immigrants have opened new bank accounts and deposited more than $50,000,000 in banks across California since November, 2001; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that state and county departments and agencies in all counties of Hawaii are urged to accept the Mexican Consular Identification card, known as the "Matricula Consular," as an official form of identification for Mexican immigrants residing in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Consul Generals of Mexico in Hawaii and in San Francisco, the Governor, and the Mayors of the respective counties.

Report Title:

Acceptance of Mexican Consular Card as an Official ID Card