Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform

[OriginalShroom]

This is downright scary and yet another reason to kill this damned bill.

Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform | Threat Level | Wired.com

The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.

Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation (.pdf) is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named “photo tool,” a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID.

Employers would be obliged to look up every new hire in the database to verify that they match their photo.

This piece of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act is aimed at curbing employment of undocumented immigrants. But privacy advocates fear the inevitable mission creep, ending with the proof of self being required at polling places, to rent a house, buy a gun, open a bank account, acquire credit, board a plane or even attend a sporting event or log on the internet. Think of it as a government version of Foursquare, with Big Brother cataloging every check-in.

“It starts to change the relationship between the citizen and state, you do have to get permission to do things,” said Chris Calabrese, a congressional lobbyist with the American Civil Liberties Union. “More fundamentally, it could be the start of keeping a record of all things.”

For now, the legislation allows the database to be used solely for employment purposes. But historically such limitations don’t last. The Social Security card, for example, was created to track your government retirement benefits. Now you need it to purchase health insurance.

“The Social Security number itself, it’s pretty ubiquitous in your life,” Calabrese said.

David Bier, an analyst with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, agrees with the ACLU’s fears.

“The most worrying aspect is that this creates a principle of permission basically to do certain activities and it can be used to restrict activities,” he said. “It’s like a national ID system without the card.”

For the moment, the debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee is focused on the parameters of legalization for unauthorized immigrants, a border fence and legal immigration in the future.

 

[Oldguy]

From SEC. 274A. UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT OF ALIENS. That's the part of the pending bill which includes the "photo tool" the OP is worried about. It also says this:

`(8) NO AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS- Nothing in this section may be construed to directly or indirectly authorize the issuance, use, or establishment of a national identification card.

 

[OriginalShroom]

Years ago Florida passed a seat belt law.

Written into that law was that not wearing a seat belt would not be used as a primary reason to write a ticket. It could only be a secondary item. No one would be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6116939_seat-belt-law-florida.html

On June 30, 2009, Florida's seat belt laws got tougher. On that day, Florida became a primary enforcement state. This allows law enforcement officers to stop motorists for the sole reason of issuing a seat belt citation.

That lasted about 5 years. Now not wearing a seat belt is a primary ticketable offense.

I don't give a rat's patoot about what they say the information can't be used for. Once they have it, it will be used for whatever they want it to be used for later.can't be used for. Once they have it, it will be used for whatever they want it to be used for later.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I have a question for you OldGuy: Are you quoting the new Act or the old one from 1986?

The 1986 Act has the exact same wording yet as we all know, The corrupt US Gov't didn't follow it THAT time so why would it follow the Law THIS time?

Approved November 6th, 1986:
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/thelaw/irca.html

 

[Mad Scientist]

I don't give a rat's patoot about what they say the information can't be used for. Once they have it, it will be used for whatever they want it to be used for later.

The US Gov't can be trusted! They only ACCIDENTALLY lose your personal information that just so happens to end up in the hands of Large Corporate Donors.

 

[OriginalShroom]

The thing is that the SCotUS has ruled that Congress can not tie the hands of a Future Congress. That is why all these promises that things will be done in the future are empty promises.

 

[TruthSeeker56]

This is downright scary and yet another reason to kill this damned bill.

Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform | Threat Level | Wired.com

The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.

Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation (.pdf) is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named “photo tool,” a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID.

Employers would be obliged to look up every new hire in the database to verify that they match their photo.

This piece of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act is aimed at curbing employment of undocumented immigrants. But privacy advocates fear the inevitable mission creep, ending with the proof of self being required at polling places, to rent a house, buy a gun, open a bank account, acquire credit, board a plane or even attend a sporting event or log on the internet. Think of it as a government version of Foursquare, with Big Brother cataloging every check-in.

“It starts to change the relationship between the citizen and state, you do have to get permission to do things,” said Chris Calabrese, a congressional lobbyist with the American Civil Liberties Union. “More fundamentally, it could be the start of keeping a record of all things.”

For now, the legislation allows the database to be used solely for employment purposes. But historically such limitations don’t last. The Social Security card, for example, was created to track your government retirement benefits. Now you need it to purchase health insurance.

“The Social Security number itself, it’s pretty ubiquitous in your life,” Calabrese said.

David Bier, an analyst with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, agrees with the ACLU’s fears.

“The most worrying aspect is that this creates a principle of permission basically to do certain activities and it can be used to restrict activities,” he said. “It’s like a national ID system without the card.”

For the moment, the debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee is focused on the parameters of legalization for unauthorized immigrants, a border fence and legal immigration in the future.

So you are opposed to people proving who they say they are when they vote in elections, rent a place to live, open a bank account, acquire credit, board a plane, rent a car, etc., etc., etc.?

You must be a supporter of terrorism, open borders, identity theft, election fraud, and grand theft, right?

This whole "permission" argument is absolute RUBBISH, unless you are talking about permitting illegal activities to continue unabated and without consequence.

 

[Oldguy]

I have a question for you OldGuy: Are you quoting the new Act or the old one from 1986?

The 1986 Act has the exact same wording yet as we all know, The corrupt US Gov't didn't follow it THAT time so why would it follow the Law THIS time?

Approved November 6th, 1986:
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/thelaw/irca.html

I'm quoting from the Act being considered by the Senate right now. Here it is:

Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - S.744 - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

The 1986 Act included that same wording and guess what? We STILL don't have a national ID card, do we?

So..what's your point?