WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration.

I am not sure what this bill actually changes. Do we not already detain anyone accused of theft or violent crimes? How would them being an unauthorized migrant even be a known factor unless they have already been detained?

It will certainly embolden some people to snitch, which is likely the intention.

  • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
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    19 hours ago

    We don’t detain people accused of theft or violent crimes. We are innocent until proven guilty. I know it’s weird since only rich people are provided that.

    So say someone of mexican decent walks into Hobby Lobby. Karen says they stole something. A cop shows up ask for proof of citizenship. Well that person was born and raised in the USA, so they don’t have a green card. ICE shows up and detains them until they can prove their citizenship. Eventually they are released but after being harassed.

    Lol, this has never happened before.

    https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2018-04-27/ice-held-an-american-man-in-custody-for-1273-days

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Pro tip: passport cards are only $30 and are small enough to be kept in your wallet. They are only good for land and sea travel within North America, but offer the same proof of citizenship as a passport. Every single person who could possibly be mistaken for a foreigner should get one (or an enhanced driver’s license if their state offers it) to nip these questions in the bud. You shouldn’t have to carry your proof of citizenship around at all times, but here we are.

      • bufalo1973@lemm.ee
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        7 hours ago

        In Spain we have a national id document. It’s the size of a credit card and has your photo (and we all look like terrorists in that photo 🤪). And nobody dies for having it in the wallet.

        • dhork@lemmy.world
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          The weird thing in the US is we will never, ever have a mandatory National ID, because too many people think the government would abuse it. Reagan even called the idea the Mark of the Beast.

          But we have our Social Security Numbers, which were originally supposed to just be a thing the government used internally, and in fact the SSN was never supposed to be used as ID. But lazy companies still did, anyway. I am old enough that when I went to college, my SSN was directly used as my student ID, and had to be entered on all forms, and I still have some of my physical grade reports with the whole SSN printed on it, in plain text.

          But since it is tied in to income tax reporting, most financial institutions need to have it, and then it expanded to credit reporting bureaus, and now simply knowing someone’s SSN and address is enough to open fraudulent accounts. The Government never mandated that, it was lazy companies who decided not to issue their own numbers.

          So maybe Reagan had a point, but it wasn’t the government we needed to be afraid of back then. But in Trump’s America, anyone who looks “foreign” will be presumed to be here illegally unless they can produce a magic document. (Even, ironically, indigenous peoples whose heritage here dates back much further than all the people in charge right now.)

      • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
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        19 hours ago

        Imagine explainingthis to your kids. Explain that changes are happening and they maybe taken to a jail. While we give the passport cards, make sure they have paper money, lawyer’s, and family’s numbers; just in case.

        To make it easier, if you are a minorty usa citizen, attach something show you are. Like a big bright object, maybe bullseye or star shape. That way we can avoid the confusion.

  • FiremanEdsRevenge@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    A good chunk of Democrats voted with the GOP. Friendly reminder that just because they are Democrats doesn’t mean they are on our side.