By Steve Herro

Immigration rights advocates in the Appleton and Green Bay areas are working to oppose national and local organizations which are selling mail order and locally produced IDs to immigrants for $40. These secondary IDs, not produced or endorsed by either the Mexican or U.S. governments, are reportedly useful to immigrants for driving, banking, health care, apartment deposits, and educational privileges.

The IDs are seen as unnecessary if one has a passport and or Student ID. The IDs in question are produced by USA ID Systems and Beraca Publishing, Inc.

Leaders from ESTHER (an Appleton area congregation based organizing unit) the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay; St. Willebrord Catholic Church (Green Bay); St. Therese Catholic Church (Appleton), Casa Hispana, the City of Appleton, and the Hispanic Community Council of Northeastern Wisconsin are consulting with Voces de la Frontera to strategize on how to defeat the sellers of the IDs.

Local leaders plan on disseminating flyers at gatherings of the Spanish speaking community, such as church services, a visit from the Mexican consulate, and festivals while also organizing a press conference with business and government representatives who can dispel the value of the non-governmental IDs.