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Schumer’s Proposal for a New Social Security Card

Posted April 29, 2010 by Patrick Young, Esq.
Categories: Federal Immigration Policy

Today, a memo describing the proposed Schumer comprehensive immigration reform plan was posted on the Internet.

The Schumer comprehensive immigration reform proposes the creation of a new type of Social Security card. The proposal envisions all Americans using the card when applying for work six years after the enactment of reform. The reason for the change is sketched out in a 26-page memo posted today detailing the Schumer proposal:

In order to prevent future waves of illegal immigration, this proposal recognizes that no matter what we do on the border, our ports of entry, and in the interior, we will not be completely effective unless we can prevent the hiring, recruitment, or referral of unauthorized aliens in America’s workplaces. Jobs are what draw illegal immigrants to the United States. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this proposal, the Social Security Administration will begin issuing biometric social security cards. These cards will be fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant, wear resistant, and machine-readable social security cards containing a photograph and an electronically coded micro-processing chip which possesses a unique biometric identifier for the authorized card-bearer.

The proposal describes the new Social Security cards as having:

(1) biometric identifiers, in the form of templates, that definitively tie the individual user to the identity credential; (2) electronic authentication capability; (3) ability to verify the individual locally without requiring every employer to access a biometric database; (4) offline verification capability (eliminating the need for 24-hour, 7-days-per-week online databases); (5) security features that protect the information stored on the card; (6) privacy protections that allow the user to control who is able to access the data on the card; (7) compliance with authentication and biometric standards recognized by domestic and international standards organizations.

This sounds a lot like a national identification card, but the Schumer proposal memo says it is not. According to the memo:

Possession of a fraud-proof social security card will only serve as evidence of lawful work-authorization but will in no way be permitted to serve—or shall be required to be shown—as proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status. It will be unlawful for any person, corporation; organization local, state, or federal law enforcement officer; local or state government; or any other entity to require or even ask an individual cardholder to produce their social security card for any purpose other than electronic verification of employment eligibility and verification of identity for Social Security Administration purposes. No personal information will be stored on the electronic chip contained within the social security card other than the individual’s name, date of birth, social security number, and unique biometric identifier.

Under no circumstances will any other information, including medical information or position-tracking information, be contained within the card. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall work with other agencies to secure enrollment locations at sites operated by the federal government. Prior to issuing an individual a new fraud-proof social security card, the Social Security Administration will be required to verify the individual’s identity and employment eligibility by asking for production of acceptable documents to be provided by the individual as proof of identity and employment eligibility.

The new Social Security card will be required for everyone seeking employment, and its creation is linked to an electronic employment authorization verification system also contained in the Schumer proposal.

Tags : immigration reform, schumer, social security card

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