Will This Law Help Stop Terrorism and Illegal Immigration?

The final phase to implement the REAL ID act is in sight. In one year, on May 7 2025, Americans will have to use a REAL ID compliant Drivers License, ID card, or Passport to take flights within the country. Passports continue to be a requirement when traveling outside the United States.

In 2005, Congress mandated that all states issue new secure drivers licenses. As part of getting these new IDs, Americans have to present proof of citizenship or permanent residency to the DMV in order get these new IDs. These compliant state IDs can be identified by the star in the upper right corner.USA Today says:

The Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set “minimum security standards” for the distribution of identification materials, including driver’s licenses. This means that certain federal agencies, like the Transportation Security Administration or DHS, won’t be able to accept state-issued forms of identification without the Real ID seal.

It’s taken a while for the compliance to stick, with DHS originally giving a 2020 deadline before pushing it back a year, then another two years and another two years after that due to “backlogged transactions” at MVD offices nationwide, according to previous USA TODAY reports.

If your ID does not have a star in the upper right, now is the time to get moving. An in-person appointment at the DMV is required, and people need to present their birth certificate or other proof of citizenship/permanent residency to secure the ID. Only half of Americans have this ID, which means. Without this ID, people cannot enter federal facilities or board commercial flights. Most states will likely accept their own non-compliant IDs for things such as driving and voting, but infrequent flyers could be in for a shock next year. The Portland Tribune gives an example for Oregon, which still applies to the whole country:

As the May 7, 2025, deadline approaches, DMVs across the country will be overwhelmed with applicants for Real ID driver licenses — at a time of chronic staff shortages nationwide. And the U.S. State Department will be overwhelmed with applications for passports.

If that’s not enough reason to act now, consider this: What if you need additional documents to apply for Real ID or a passport? You may need to order a certified birth certificate from the state where you were born in order to apply for a Real ID card or passport. State agencies that issue birth certificates may also be overwhelmed, adding weeks more to your application processes. And once you get to DMV and conclude your transaction, it will be about two weeks before the card arrives in the mail.

While some conservatives have expressed concern over a national ID card as can be found in Europe, a majority support the law. The law is expected to help crack down on illegals immigrants, who will have more trouble acquiring fake documents. With shared the shared national ID database, crime is also expected to somewhat drop and deter terrorist activity.

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