The United States government has required a new form of identification starting this Wednesday, May 7th, called “Real ID”, which includes federal verifications, for domestic travel, after years of warnings to a reluctant population due to privacy concerns, although there are signs that this new stage will begin with some flexibility.
The requirement for that nationally standardized identification document comes into effect with the implementation of the Real ID Act, which was passed in 2005 to enhance airport security following the terrorist attacks of September 2001, but its enforcement has been postponed several times.
So far, residents could travel within the country with identifications, usually driver’s licenses issued by each state, so the government’s notices for Americans to obtain this card have caused concern and a strong last-minute demand.
What is the Real ID?
To obtain the Real ID, which includes a star, you must provide at an office (those in charge of regulating motor vehicles) name, date of birth, social security number, two proofs of residence, and confirmation of legal status in the United States, as indicated on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website.
In New York, for example, the offices of the Department of Motor Vehicles have had lines in recent weeks, and in this and other states they have extended hours and have even opened on Saturdays to accommodate those appointments.
Fear that it will be used for migration control
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been denouncing for years that states, which are still in charge of issuing driver’s licenses, will now be forced to regulate immigration by judging whether a person has legal status or not, with federal verifications.
Immigrant advocacy groups have warned that the enforcement of the law will particularly affect undocumented individuals, as driver’s licenses issued to people without legal status, for example in California, will not be accepted.
In that sense, the TSA recently stated that “foreigners who are illegally in the United States and voluntarily self-deport on international flights will not be denied boarding under this requirement.”
However, the DHS secretary, Kristi Noem, expressed this Tuesday before Congress certain flexibility in the transition stage towards Real ID and stated that people will be able to fly on domestic flights even if they do not have the document yet, although they will have to undergo an “additional step” of security.
Noem did not clarify whether this exception will be limited only to the first day of the implementation of the Real ID Act or if it will be extended for a longer period.
The DHS states on its website that if travelers present a non-Real ID state identification at the airport and do not have a passport or other valid document, they “will be notified that they are not in compliance (with the law), may be escorted to a separate area, and may be subject to additional screening.”
Currently, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints present an acceptable form of identification, including a Real ID issued by a state.