“There is no legal requirement that US citizens carry papers or have proof of their citizenship on them,” said an attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.

Federal law enforcement agencies are detaining US citizens who do not carry proof of their citizenship in what civil rights advocates describe as a flagrant violation of constitutional rights—and a top Trump administration official is claiming the government has the authority to do so.

A Somali-born Minnesota man was alarmed by the practice last Tuesday when immigration agents tackled him, handcuffed him, and arrested him, refusing to accept his REAL ID as proof of his legal residence in a video that was widely circulated on social media.

The man, who identified only as Mubashir, was placed into a chokehold and forced to his knees in the snow on his way to get food in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, which has a large Somali population.

  • Triumph@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    16 hours ago

    Proof? I mean, I know that my state issues state IDs (what we always called them in my youth). I’m seeing that you’re better off searching for “non driver identification card” now.

    https://nn4youth.org/a-state-by-state-guide-to-obtaining-id-cards/

    My point wasn’t that everyone who didn’t have a driver’s license had a state ID instead, rather to counter the implication that people who don’t have a driver’s license don’t have access to government issued photo ID apart from a passport. If you don’t drive, you can still get a non driver’s ID card from your state using the same supporting documentation (apart from the driver’s tests) and fee as a driver’s license.

    • makeshiftreaper@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      15 hours ago

      Oh I misunderstood you then. I thought you were saying that people actually used state IDs. I understand that they are available but in practice I have never seen people using them

      • Nastybutler@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        12 hours ago

        Then you’ve never worked somewhere that sold alcohol or tobacco. Your ignorance is your own issue.

      • Triumph@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        13 hours ago

        Back in the day, in my state you could have both at the same time - and they’d also hold your driver’s license as bond if you got a ticket. So I got both for myself for when that happened.

        I have a kid today who doesn’t drive, has state ID. People do actually use state IDs, but it’s really only for people who haven’t already got a driver’s license, or who have had their driver’s license revoked, so they’re definitely not as common.

        But they’re there, and if you can’t have a driver’s license, you should definitely get a state ID. I don’t know what situation you’re in where you’re being presented with identification, but it might be a nice idea to make sure people whose paths you cross without photo ID are aware of their options where you are.