Municipal ID program should lead to state card, Kalamazoo board says

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Commissioners Ron Kendall and Tracy Hall serve on the Kalamazoo County ID task force. (Carly Geraci | MLive)

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Two Kalamazoo County commissioners leading an effort to explore the possibilities of a municipal identification card gave a brief update on their progress this week.

The bipartisan Kalamazoo County ID task force has been working to determine how to implement a program that would give residents easier access to a basic identification card. Commissioners Tracy Hall and Ron Kendall will report back to the Board of Commissioners on March 21 with a detailed report based on their findings.

The program, inspired by a version launched by Washtenaw County in 2014, would ensure homeless and under-documented residents without a state-issued ID still have access to municipal services. The card isn't just for undocumented immigrants in the county; it allows citizens who lack records necessary to obtaining a Michigan ID identify themselves.

Because the Kalamazoo County ID would not be recognized in applications for state aid programs, commissioners said they ultimately want the cards to be recognized as part of the criteria used to gain a state identification card. Sheriff Rick Fuller has also said he would prefer the county ID card be recognized by the state.

State identification cards are issued at any Secretary of State office, where residents must present documentation of a valid Social Security number,  U.S. citizenship or legal presence, identification and Michigan residency.

The county ID card has looser criteria, allowing documents like a high school diploma, Michigan Driver Education certificate, or Michigan Department of Corrections prisoner identification card.

Ben Damerow, director of Michigan Works! Southwest at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said people released from state prisons often don't have the documents needed to obtain a state ID, which can influence their path to obtaining a legitimate job.

"Providing a person with a temporary ID while they hunt down documents or what ever it is that is stopping from getting state ID, the county ID helps a lot while they get things started," said Commissioner Michael Seals. "Even if its not recognized throughout the rest of the state, it still provides a way for citizens to have a way to identify themselves."

Hall and Kendall said the idea has received tentative support from local law enforcement, hospitals, banks and community organizations, but the challenge will lie in finding a way to make the program affordable for the county's most needy residents.

"The hardest part is they don't have the resources to come up with these (documents) to prove who they are," Kendall said, suggesting the task force find non-profit sponsor organizations to cover costs for residents.

Hall said the program would likely be offered out of the Kalamazoo County Clerk's Office. Grant funding would be sought to cover a portion of the cost, while cards would cost around $25.

Commissioners said they received more than a dozen emails in support of the county ID program during its March 7 meeting. One resident spoke out against the program Tuesday night, stating it is a service that makes it easier for undocumented immigrants to break federal law and not obtain citizenship.

The cards would feature a the card holder's photograph, date of birth, address, signature, a unique ID number and other descriptors like height, weight and eye color. Similar cards were implemented in the city of Detroit, New Haven Conn., Oakland, Calif., and San Francisco.

The cities of Kalamazoo and Portage both passed resolutions backing the concept within the last month. The program has also been supported by 19 local organizations, who serve on the task force committees.