Junta for Progressive Action
10/05/2005 Andy Bromage , Register Staff
NEW HAVEN — The DeStefano administration Tuesday moved away from a suggestion to offer city-issued ID cards to undocumented immigrants, a day after endorsing the idea.
In a statement released Tuesday, the office of Mayor John DeStefano Jr. said City Hall would not be issuing ID cards to immigrants.
"Both Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and Police Chief Francisco Ortiz mentioned the ID card concept in the context of several public safety issues that have been brought to city officials regarding the city’s undocumented immigrant population," said the statement by Karen DuBois-Walton, the mayor’s chief of staff.
The statement contradicts comments made by Ortiz at a press conference Monday, at which he said, "We are working hard with the city to create a valid city identification" for immigrants, according to a tape recording of the event.
The ID card concept was in its formative stages, Ortiz said, but the city and police were jointly working to make it happen, he said on the tape.
"Folks need a legitimate form of identification and this city will help them receive one," Ortiz said on the tape.
Ortiz could not be reached for comment Tuesday and his secretary referred calls to Robert Smuts, the mayor’s deputy chief of staff.
Smuts said Tuesday the ID card concept was never more than an idea and probably won’t work anyway.
"But it’s not something we’re just going to abandon without thinking about it," he said. "The city of New Haven is committed to looking at all sorts of innovative ideas. Most of these ideas don’t make it to fruition."
Smuts said the city had not sought a legal opinion of the concept before unveiling it to the press Monday.
At the press event, DeStefano, Ortiz and Latino community leaders announced Hablamos Espanol, a new initiative aimed at making City Hall more user-friendly for Spanish speakers by providing bilingual forms, such as birth and death certificates.
They noted other ways the city could assist its immigrant population, including helping them open bank accounts and providing them with some form of ID.
The story made national news Tuesday after a wire service picked it up.
City officials were bombarded with media calls Tuesday and told each news agency the ID cards were not being issued.
DeStefano was out of town Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.
The ID card concept was one of six recommendations included in a 54-page report issued by Junta for Progressive Action and Latinos United in Action, Latino advocacy groups. The report details how the city could better serve its immigrant population.
DeStefano highlighted four of those recommendations Monday, including the ID cards.
Kica Matos, Junta’s executive director, said she was disappointed the city was backing away from the idea.
The cards would be for all residents of New Haven, not just immigrants, she said.
"A lot of people in this city would greatly benefit from having an extra form of ID," Matos said.
Andy Bromage can be reached at abromage@nhregister.com or 789-5714.