With privacy, security in mind, RFP issued for municipal ID program
City Clerk Anna Valencia on Monday took another step toward creating a municipal identification program to help undocumented immigrants come “out of the shadows” without putting them at greater risk of being deported.
The city issued a request forproposals ( RFP) for municipal ID technology and software that makes privacy and security the top priorities. The RFP also seeks to “integrate existing city services into one card.”
Responses are due back Aug. 29. The winner will be asked to print municipal ID cards at “off- site locations” in all 50 wards, perhaps in partnership with community organizations and other city departments, including the Chicago Public Library.
“This portable technology will allow for the city’s clerk’s office to meet constituents where they are, build trust within communities and allow for increased access to getting the identification,” the mayor’s office said in a press release.
Valencia said she is seeking a “technical solution that strikes the right balance between making the ID both secure and accessible.”
At a time when undocumented immigrants are living in fear of the mass deportations threatened during President Donald Trump’s campaign, Valencia has assured aldermen that personal information provided to obtain a municipal ID will not end up in the hands of U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
To protect confidentiality, the city will ask for “minimal information” and will not ask applicants about their immigration status. Nor will the city retain copies of applicants’ personal information.
The name and date of birth will be the only information retained by the city. No home address will be required.
Applicants also will be able to self- designate their gender, a nod to the LGBTQ community.
Three months ago, the City Council agreed to create the long- promised municipal ID after a lengthy and emotional debate.
Ald. Anthony Beale ( 9th) argued then that he gets no complaints from constituents who can’t get an Illinois ID and, if there is a need for assistance, it would be better handled by the state.
Ald. Nick Sposato ( 38th) voted against the $ 1.3 million Legal Protection Fund created by the mayor to support immigrants threatened with deportation under Trump. He was also a “No” vote on a resolution reaffirming Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city.
Although the debate had an “us- vs.- them” undertone, Emanuel cut to the chase. He argued that aldermen have a “moral responsibility” to help undocumented immigrants, homeless people, ex- offenders and domestic violence victims come “out of the shadows.”
“I can’t think of a more important thing to do,” the mayor said on that day.