1/12/08 American Security Observer (ASO)

American Security Observer (ASO): Keeping an Eye on Domestic Security, Law Enforcement, Military and Civil Defense Issues

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the final regulation for the REAL ID. According to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, “Americans understand today that the 9/11 hijackers obtained 30 drivers licenses and ID’s, and used 364 aliases. For an extra $8 per license, REAL ID will give law enforcement and security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien.” According to the press release from DHS:

"REAL ID will address document fraud by setting specific requirements that states must adopt for compliance, to include: (1) information and security features that must be incorporated into each card; (2) proof of the identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status of an applicant; (3) verification of the source documents provided by an applicant; and (4) security standards for the offices that issue licenses and identification cards. "

The regulations have drawn alot of criticism from state governments, members of Congress, civil liberties advocates, and security experts (pdf). One very vocal critic of REAL ID is Conservative Republican State Senator Karen Johnson from Arizona

She is joined by former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), an advisor to ACDA, who also opposes REAL ID on civil liberty and security grounds. Other conservative groups that oppose REAL ID include Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizen Outreach Project, Republican Liberty Caucus and US Bill of Rights Foundation. Bruce Schneier, a security expert , is among many security experts (pdf). who also opposes REAL ID.

Michael D. Ostrolenk