Mexican Consulate to issue "Official Documents" in NC

Folks, this is a MAJOR PROBLEM. Call the Church and let them know how you feel about them hosting this event. Here’s their site and contact info.

http://www.saintbrendan-shallotte.org/

Rev. Robert F. Ippolito, M.S

Rev. Hector LaChapelle, M.S

Phone (910) 754-8544 Fax  (910) 755-6046
E-mail  brenavigator@atmc.net

Source:  http://www.examiner.com/x-47869-Wilmington-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m8d11-Mexican-Consulate-to-issue-official-documents-in-rural-NC

Both the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh, NC and St. Brendan’s Catholic Parish in Shallotte, NC have announced that Mexican officials will be at St. Brendan’s this Saturday, 14 Aug, 2010 to issue Mexican Passports and Matrícula Consular I.D. Cards.

In a telephone interview with the pastor of St. Brendan’s, Fr. Robert Ippolito, he did verify that his parish would be “hosting” the event this Saturday.

Ippolito likened the visit to an American Consulate in Mexico issuing documentation to Americans in Mexico.

The Question Of Matrícula Consular I.D. Cards

When asked if the Matrícula Consular I.D. Cards would assist those in this country illegally in obtaining a driver’s license, he stated “How could that help them in getting a driver’s license? You have to have a Social Security Number first.”

According to the current North Carolina Dept. of Transportation website, a Matrícula Consular Card is one of the acceptable forms of documentation to receive a NC State Driver’s License.

Also, according to the current North Carolina State Board of Elections website, once any given individual has been issued a valid driver’s license, that very same license can be used as an acceptable form of identification to register to vote at a One-Stop Absentee Site .

Also, when asked if a Matrícula Consular Card could be used by the cardholder in receiving public assistance from the State of North Carolina, Ippolito stated “as far as I know, it wouldn’t be of any help to them.”

As of press time, there are no state services that the bearer would be eligible for by simply presenting the Matrícula Consular Card itself, with the noted exception of a state driver’s license.

What Exactly Is A Matrícula Consular I.D. Card?

In an Aug. 2004 report to the US Congress, the GAO (Government Accountability Office) stated that the Mexican issuance policy still relies on visual, rather than computer-based, verification of some documents used to obtain CID cards, including birth certificates that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says may be fraudulently obtained.

The GAO also stated that CID (Consular I.D.) cards are issued by some governments to help identify their citizens residing in a foreign country. Possession of a CID card does not certify legal residence within a country; thus, cardholders may be either legal or undocumented aliens. CID cardholders in the United States may derive benefits from the cards’ acceptance for identification purposes by financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and state and local governments in the United States. For example, there are banks that have begun accepting CID cards for opening bank accounts, some law enforcement agencies encourage their use for identification purposes, and some local governments accept them as identification required to obtain governmental services. In addition, some states accept CID cards as a part of required documentation for obtaining driver’s licenses.

And According To The FBI…

On June 26, 2003, Steve McCraw, Assistant Director of The Office of Intelligence, FBI, testified before The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims on Consular ID Cards, the following; (the entire testimony can be read here)

…there are two major criminal threats posed by the [Consular ID] cards, and one potential terrorist threat.

The first criminal threat stems from the fact that the Matricula Consular can be a perfect breeder document for establishing a false identity. It is our understanding that as many as 13 states currently accept the Matricula Consular for the purpose of obtaining a drivers’ license. Once in possession of a driver’s license, a criminal is well on his way to using the false identity to facilitate a variety of crimes, from money laundering to check fraud. And of course, the false identity serves to conceal a criminal who is already being sought by law enforcement. Individuals have been arrested with multiple Matricula Consular cards in their possession, each with the same photograph, but with a different name. Matching these false Matriculas are false driver’s licenses, also found in the criminals’ possession. Such false identities are particularly useful to facilitate the crime of money laundering, as the criminal is able to establish one or more bank accounts under completely fictitious names. Accounts based upon such fraudulent premises greatly hamper money-laundering investigations once the criminal activity is discovered. As the Subcommittee is well aware, the FBI is particularly concerned about fraudulent financial transactions in the post 9/11 environment, given the fact that foreign terrorists often rely on money transferred from within the United States.

The second criminal threat is that of alien smuggling, a crime that has resulted in many deaths within the past year. Federal officials have arrested alien smugglers who have had as many as seven different Matricula Consular cards in their possession. The cards not only conceal the identity of the smuggler, they also serve as a magnet for the victims who are enticed to entrust their lives to the smugglers, believing that the Matricula Consular that awaits them will entitle them to all sorts of benefits within the United States.

These criminal threats are significant, but it is the terrorist threat presented by the Matricula Consular that is most worrisome. Federal officials have discovered individuals from many different countries in possession of the Matricula Consular card. Most of these individuals are citizens of other Central or South American countries. However, at least one individual of Middle Eastern descent has also been arrested in possession of the Matricula Consular card. The ability of foreign nationals to use the Matricula Consular to create a well-documented, but fictitious, identity in the United States provides an opportunity for terrorists to move freely within the United States without triggering name-based watch lists that are disseminated to local police officers. It also allows them to board planes without revealing their true identity. All of these threats are in addition to the transfer of terrorist funds, mentioned earlier.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twelfth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.