Recently there have been efforts to establish a national identity card, called a Real ID, that would replace state driver’s licenses. In addition to costing billions in taxes to implement, the Real ID system would put all holders at risk for invasion of privacy and identity theft. Proponents, such as Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, cite “ensuring homeland security and making it tougher for terrorists” as the main objectives for instituting the Real ID, though many agree creating one database with all identity information would make personal information easier to access for identity thieves and marketers alike.

The Michigan Legislature passed out bills recently that included Real ID provisions. Because documentation of legal status is necessary to get a Real ID or driver’s license, this becomes a form of discrimination. Driver’s licenses could be denied to people with legal temporary visas, foreign nationals that are here as our professors, doctors, classmates and new refugees.