As some cities try to write discrimination into their local laws (and then find that these laws are illegal), one East Coast community is making immigrants’ lives easier. Last month Maegan told us about the plan approved in New Haven Connecticut to provide I.D. cards to undocumented immigrants, which would make getting access to local services a lot easier. Earlier this week, the cards became a reality, but not without controversy. Reuters reports:

Opponents hope to rally the public against it. Southern Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Reform says the ID cards will change “the entire country as we know it” and is organizing a protest on Tuesday at city hall.

“There are millions of illegal aliens right around us that when these ID cards are available to them, they will rush to them and get some identification that will allow them to go to other cities,” said Ted Pechinski, who leads the group.

North Carolina-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has circulated a flier in 40 states urging illegal workers to move to New Haven, said its president William Gheen.

“Maybe New Haven needs to learn, if they want the illegals, then they’ll get the illegals,” he said.

His flier, in English and Spanish, says: “Come to New Haven CT for sanctuary. Bring your friends and family members quickly.”

If they “want the illegals”? What a brainless way of thinking. New Haven isn’t doing this to attract any particular group of people but rather to satisfy the needs of a certain segment of its community, which is what any good city should do.

Speaking of good cities, San Francisco (my home) and New York (Maegan’s home) are looking to implement similar programs.

Via / Reuters