DUBLIN, Ohio – The controversy over matricula ID cards shows nosigns of letting up, and in Ohio the issue has taken on newinterest. Historically, the identification form, also calledmatricula consular, was issued by foreign governments to enabletheir citizens abroad to seek consular assistance when they neededhelp. More recently, the cards are issued as a way to provideidentification for people in the United States. The government ofMexico, in particular, has promoted the card. Other nations, suchas Guatemala, are either issuing similar cards or considering it.Those who support accepting the cards say they allow foreignersworking in the U.S. to open financial accounts and thus carry lesscash, making them less likely to be victims of crime; provideforeigners a way to access opportunities, including credit unionmembership; and make it easier for them to function in U.S. societyby allowing them to acquire library cards, enter federal buildings,purchase basic utilities, gain access to rental housing and more.The U.S. Treasury, through the USA Patriot Act, allows creditunions to accept identification issued by other governments. On theother hand, critics say the card acts as a way of legitimizingpeople who are in the country illegally, are being misused and area danger to national security. The Office of Intelligence of theFederal Bureau of Investigation in a report said the Department ofJustice and FBI have concluded that the matricula consular is not areliable form of identification, that it is vulnerable to fraud andforgery and poses criminal and terrorist threats. In May, Coloradoadopted a law that prohibits immigrants from using identity cardsissued by foreign governments as official documents in that state.In September, the Ohio Credit Union League sponsored an educationprogram, inviting representatives from the Mexican Consulate aswell as several Ohio credit unions. According to Sue Helmreich,OCUL manager of outreach projects, “The league is taking acceptingthe matricula ID cards as a good thing, but every credit union isself governed. It's up to them to make their own decisions.”Helmreich said the cards allow Mexican nationals to open accountsto transfer money back home. “From our standpoint, it has nothingto do with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. When weoffer our financial education classes in Spanish, we don't ask andwe don't care. It is safer for them to have an account than tocarry money on their person. A lot more banks are accepting thematricula card. We would like credit unions to become betterinformed. The bottom line is it's the right thing to do and thesmart thing to do. A large percentage of Mexican people will beworking here and staying here and their kids will be living here.Soon, those kids will be buying cars and they will be buying homes.It has to start somewhere.” Helmreich said that of 1,048 financialinstitutions and their branches in Ohio that accept the matriculaID, there are only a couple of credit unions. One is Western CreditUnion in Columbus. Tom Furry, president and CEO, said Western hasaccepted the matricula ID for more than a year and has not had anyproblems with security. “We found that the folks presenting thecards are genuinely interested in receiving the services of thecredit union. We have found it to be an acceptable means of ID toestablish a relationship.” He noted that there's concern about allforms of ID, not just the matricula ID card. Among credit unionsthat attended the OCUL session, several are taking up the issuewhile others have it on the back burner. At AurGroup Financial inFairfield, Tim Boellner, president and CEO, said he was taking apolicy recommendation to his board to accept matricula IDs. “Wehave a growing Hispanic population. Accepting the ID fits in withour strategic plan – to make membership available to those who wantit and to serve the underserved.” At BMI Federal Credit Union inColumbus, Sharon Custer, CEO and president, said that “we haven'tmade any changes in any of our policies yet. We will be looking atit as part of an overall ID program, but it's not a pressingissue.” Jeff Swartz, president and CEO at Core One, said the boardfor that Columbus-based cooperative has not yet discussed theissue. The credit union was just approved to include a newgeographic area and the topic may be part of strategic planmeetings. At New Horizons in Cincinnati, Leroy Wilder, CEO andpresident, said he had some concerns about the apparently easyavailability of the documents. “I'm not opposed to helping peopleand there is business to be done. But we're stuck between a rockand a hard place with this Patriot Act. Some government agenciestell you they accept the ID and others, such as the U.S. PostalService, tell you they do not.” He said he finds it interestingthat all the card shows is that the Mexican consulate believes theperson is a Mexican citizen and includes nothing about whether theperson is here legally or illegally. “One thing that concerns me,and I will have to talk with our insurance company about it, isthat they say that many people send their account and ATM cardshome to Mexico so that their families can access their accounts.I'm concerned that that possibly opens us to exposures for possiblelosses. If cards and PINs are sent out of the country and they getlifted out of the mail or otherwise abused, what's our exposure?Once I can get answers to some questions, I will present it to theboard,” said Wider.