Pink-Striped License For Illegal Immigrants Scrapped In North Carolina

The pink-striped license that would have been used to denote illegal immigrant status in North Carolina has been scrapped by government officials.

The identification cards were facing an increased amount of criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations.

Many people who would have received the cards believe they were being singled out by the government. Others feel the pink-striped licenses could be used to discriminate against certain people.

Officials have decided to scrap the pink-striped ID cards in favor of something that resembles the ones issued to other individuals.

“My understanding is that when we’re looking at that design, at the end of the day, we had to make sure we were following the letter of the law in the most efficient way possible,” Transportation Department spokesman Mike Charbonneau said.

Opponents of the program said that the cards essentially subject people to racial profiling. However, Governor Pat McCrory believes the IDs will help prevent illegal immigrants from applying for government benefits.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will begin issuing the unique identification cards next Monday. Instead of the pink stripe, the IDs will feature bold text that indicates the individual’s legal status.

The ACLU said the removal of the stripe was a “step in the right direction.” However, Jewish leaders feel the cards are still a form of discrimination.

“Our efforts do not end when major discrimination turns into minor discrimination; it ends when we are 100 percent positive that discriminatory policies will not go into effect in our state,” Rabbi Eric Solomon explained.

Rabbi John Friedman of Durham’s Judea Reform Congregation said the identification cards were vaguely reminiscent of the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear during World War II.

“I don’t think these licenses have anything to do with the Holocaust, and I’m not saying anybody is a Nazi. But it cannot help but remind Jews of the yellow stars,” Friedman said prior to the DMV removing the offending stripe from the IDs.

What do you think about the pink-striped licenses? Do you think illegal immigrants should have a separate form of identification?

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