Bank of America is taking some serious heat from anti-immigration activists who say that the financial entity is extending credit card offers to undocumented immigrants. BofA, however, says that the card isn’t being marketed specifically to undocumented immigrants, but rather to “no credit history and a checking account in good standing”. The card can also be applied for by using a consular ID or a passport, instead of a Social Security number.

An organization calling itself The National Illegal Immigration Boycott Coalition has set up a web site (www.bankofamericaboycott.com) to boycott Bank of America because, according to the site:

Illegal immigration is tearing America apart and leading to the death of 12-25 Americans per day from the criminal acts of illegals. That is over 4,000 killed per year. Does Bank of America plan to reimburse the grieving families that suffer due to the illegal aliens BOA helps to stay in America?

Excuse me, but what in tarnation does that have to do with a credit card? And, FYI, this is nothing new. Banks and other entities have been extending credit to people without social security numbers for years now.

Perhaps a more sound argument to this issue would be to wonder who saddles the debt if immigrants were to return to their countries without paying. Personally, I’m not losing sleep over it, but I’m just saying…if you are going to be up in arms, get up in arms about something that makes sense.

So far, only 281 people have signed the petition. Yawn. Meanwhile, right-wing crazies are going bonkers, on TV and radio. One of them, Jerome Corsi, was quoted as saying on radio, with regard to the BofA controversy:

Yeah, but if you — if you’re speaking Spanish, you come in [the bank] with a sombrero, and you got the bags and, you know, bean bags, they’re just going to say, “Oh come on, well, there’s a special line for you over here.”

Bean bags?

Via / Charlotte.com and Media Matters