Photo ID will lift up Broward’s vulnerable
Thousands upon thousands of people who live in Broward County have no form of identification, so they have no way to access essential public services — from food stamps to COVID-19 vaccinations.
They may be homeless or undocumented immigrants. They could be recently released from a county jail, or elderly who lost their IDs. They may or may not be U.S. citizens, but they are entitled to basic human dignity, and the lack of a photo ID should never be a barrier to services that are available to all in a country where virtually every transaction now requires a photo ID. A landscaper who’s undocumented needs an ID to mow the grass in a gated community.
Broward has taken a step forward to help all of its residents emerge from society’s shadows. County commissioners on August 24 made a one-time expenditure of $100,000 for a new initiative to provide a community photo ID to anybody who needs one. Legal Aid Service of Broward County, a well-established local nonprofit, will manage the program and other agencies will encourage participation, such as Hispanic Unity, Urban League and Partnership for the Homeless.
“There is still fear in immigrant communities to go get vaccinated, because they don’t have an ID and they feel intimidated to go to testing sites,” Thomas Kennedy, political director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told commissioners. “Broward County is a huge place. There’s a lot of demand tor this.”
Broward initially approved the countywide photo ID program on April 20, and four months of bureaucratic foot-dragging followed. Similar programs are now underway in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Alachua counties, and local photo ID efforts have been created in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Haven, Cincinnati, Greensboro, N.C. and other cities. Broward officials suggested a $20 fee for an ID.
A fight over money
Giving the money became surprisingly contentious among Broward’s nine Democratic commissioners.
By a vote of 5 to 4, they increased the one-time grant from $75,000 to $100,000 (Legal Aid Service asked for $162,250 for staffing, equipment and supplies for the first year). The five commissioners who approved the increase to $100,000 were Nan Rich, Lamar Fisher, Beam Furr, Barbara Sharief and Dale Holness, who sponsored the initial $75,000 request. They
made the right decision.
The money is needed because a smooth execution is essential, Legal Aid Service’s Tony Karrat told commissioners. If people are forced to stand in line for hours to apply for an ID, they will get frustrated and resentful and the program won’t work.
The idea has support of cities, the school district and law enforcement. As Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said, a community photo ID will be “a reliable form of identification that can be used as a tool by law enforcement, county departments, health centers, schools, businesses and cultural organizations to better identify and serve residents.”
The sheriff ’s April 5 letter of endorsement said the ID will not be an accepted form of identification for law enforcement purposes such as arrests or traffic stops. This ID is not a substitute for a driver’s license either, nor is it an acceptable form of identification for voting.
For individual applicants, the challenge will be providing proof of date of birth and legal name.
A well-regarded agency
Legal Aid has never run a program like this before. But as Nan Rich noted, it’s a reliable, well-regarded provider of legal help to the poor. The agency expects to hold at least one public outreach event every month to spread the word.
Confidentiality is important. Legal Aid Service rejected a plan to use libraries because, as county facilities, they are subject to state public records laws. Legal Aid will keep personal information private, citing attorney-client privilege.
The creation of a community photo ID is a humane gesture that will lift up society’s most vulnerable residents. It will help people get food and medical attention and apply for jobs, which will help them become productive residents and less of a burden to society.
This program should be implemented in an orderly and professional way with the support of churches and social action organizations. If it works smoothly in Broward and elsewhere in South Florida, more counties will be encouraged to take similar steps.