City to offer municipal IDs through pilot program

Dionne Mack, deputy city manager
El Paso Inc. file photo

El Paso Inc.
By Sara Sanchez / El Paso Inc. staff writer
October 29, 2023

The El Paso City Council last week moved forward an old discussion over locally issued identification cards.

City Council unanimously approved moving forward with a municipal identification proposal, which would provide city-issued ID cards to El Paso residents for use in a number of settings.

The cards have limits and differ from state and federal requirements for obtaining identification.

City Council is eyeing April for implementation of the ID cards, which would be done through an enhanced library card system.

The city will spend about $105,000 to pilot the program at four locations in El Paso. City staff is slated to return to City Council around February with an update on the program, including a memorandum of understanding.

In 2017, former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo broke a City Council tie vote against the proposed identification cards.

Margo said he still takes the same position today and that he would have voted against it or vetoed it.

“It’s hard for me to reconcile providing some sort of quasi-form of identification for people here illegally. I think city staff have looked at it. It can’t be used as a driver’s license. I think it creates a false sense.”

The Border Network for Human Rights, which has long pushed for a municipal ID program in El Paso, celebrated Tuesday’s vote.

Miriam Guerrero, a member of the BNHR, said the adoption of the enhanced library cards will make identification available for more El Pasoans, including domestic violence victims, homeless veterans and elderly people.

“A community ID for all El Pasoans is a step in the right direction to make sure everyone has access to vital services they might need,” Guerrero said at last week’s meeting.

According to the city, some municipal services that could be accessed with an enhanced library card include issuances of permits and licenses, animal control intake and owner return, WIC and other health services, tax office payment plans, and municipal courts.

In a City Council presentation, Dionne Mack, deputy city manager, said the city cards can be used to open a bank account, be admitted to a hospital, obtain housing, pick up children from school and file a police report.

The card could help “ensure residents can fully participate in the civic and economic opportunities within the city,” according to a city presentation.

As part of the feasibility study, city staff looked at other ID card programs around the country, as well as security features, like encryption, for the proposed card.

“Privacy is a huge concern and is one of the things that kept other municipalities from driving forward,” Mack said.

Security concerns, she added, were one of the questions brought up by City Council when the feasibility study was approved in April.

She said one solution could be a scannable QR code on the back of the enhanced library card that can be used to check for counterfeits.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mack presented a long list of examples on what might be presented as proof of identity to obtain an enhanced library card. These include the usual documents like a state-issued ID, passport and permanent resident card; it could also include foreign passports, EBT cards, military discharge forms and more.

State laws require identity verification and proof of U.S. citizenship and Texas residency.

Federal identification has minimum standards that need to be met for the REAL ID system, which was passed by Congress in 2005, with implementation continually pushed back in the 18 years since.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, REAL ID requirements include proof of identity through date of birth, social security number and primary residence address, verifying the documents presented for proof of identity, additional security features in the identification card, and securing private information collected during the whole process.

State IDs issued in Texas are in accordance with the federal REAL ID system.

According to the city, the enhanced library cards are not valid identification for voting, a driver’s license or for eligibility of government benefits. The city cards cannot be used to show proof of age to purchase liquor or tobacco.

In Texas, there are a few cities that have enhanced library card systems, including Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. All the Texas enhanced library card problems were launched in 2020 or later.