New York City officials expected between 250,000 to 300,000 residents to sign up for the city's new municipal identification card program this year. They've received over 260,000 applications since the program's launch last month.
Undocumented immigrations initially met NYCID - the card New Yorkers can use for library membership, discounts, and as documentation to open a bank account - with hesitation. Many feared giving names, addresses, and proof of residency would lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to their doorstep. According to a clause built into the bill, an applicant's information can be destroyed on Dec. 31, 2016; three weeks before President Obama steps down.
"To see this kind of response...is remarkable in a positive way and I think has a lot of lessons to teach us," said Nisha Agarwal, commissioner for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Agarwal added, "We want it to sort of be the passport to New York City for everyone."
Mayor Bill de Blasio's actions may coincide with the new ID card's success.
In November, de Blasio signed into law two bills limiting ICE's authority. One eliminates the presence of ICE officials in jails, among other facilities. The other limits the city's cooperation with deportations. Additionally, cardholders can freely interact with police as the New York Police Department will enable them to file complaints, as well as accept the ID when issuing summonses in lieu of arrest.
City officials are scrambling to open new facilities to reduce appointment waiting times, many which extend into the summer, while reducing the number of complaints received because of the long wait.
"In the lead up to the launch of the card, we heard many advocates say that individuals may be nervous about stepping forward and interacting with the government," Agarwal said.
While cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. already have similar programs in place, it is Arizona's effort to create city-issued ID cards for undocumented immigrants that made some in New York's five boroughs second-guess applying.
Language in Arizona's SB 1070 bill - passed in late 2010 - required officers to make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained, or arrested if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally. Phoenix momentarily considered an ID card solely created for immigrants who have a foreign identification, but nothing government-issued stateside.
Phoenix and officials in Dayton, OH forwent the program because of concerns individuals wouldn't want to confess that they were in the country illegally.
While New York City is far more liberal than Arizona, undocumented immigrants are still caution when interacting with police. That includes a large portion of the estimated 500,000 living in NYC without legal documentation.
Agarwal said she expects two or three times more eligible residents to sign up than other major cities where the program is in place.