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West of Mpls MN about 50 miles on Hwy 12 | The REAL ID system provides uniformed requirements/standards across all 50 States to prove identity not U.S. citizenship. A REAL/ENHANCED DL/ID provides both because more documentation is provided during the application process that proves citizenship. A ENHANCED DL/ID has a star and a U.S. flag incorporated into it's design as well as a embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip.
IMO, all 50 States should offer an ENHANCED DL/ID option. Currently only 5 States offer a ENHANCED ID option, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington...you better start carrying a passport and/or a copy of your certified birth certificate as well as your REAL ID just in case ICE walks into the local restaurant you're eating and demands proof of citizenship.
AI validates what I have typed...
While REAL ID proves identity and is available to legal residents, it's not considered definitive proof of U.S. citizenship by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which can lead to detention and further questioning; a U.S. Passport or Passport Card is the best document to prove citizenship to ICE, as it's an official, irrefutable citizenship document.
Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID) contains an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip, which holds a unique number linking to your identity in a secure Department of Homeland Security (DHS) database, enabling faster border crossing by land or sea but not for air travel, and it does not store biometric data like fingerprints.
Why REAL ID Isn't Enough for ICE:
It Proves Identity, Not Citizenship: REAL ID standards verify your identity and lawful presence in the U.S., but not necessarily that you are a U.S. citizen, as legal permanent residents and other non-citizens with lawful status can also obtain them.
ICE's Discretion: ICE officers have broad discretion and may detain citizens who only present a REAL ID until they can verify citizenship through other means, leading to potential delays and complications.
The point of REAL ID is to create a higher security standard for state-issued driver's licenses and IDs, making them harder to forge, to improve national security, and to ensure only lawfully present individuals receive them, allowing for easier access to federally regulated areas like airports and military bases. It provides a uniform, trusted ID for specific federal purposes after the 9/11 attacks, fulfilling recommendations to set national standards for identification.
The point of an Enhanced ID (EID) is to provide a convenient, low-cost, multi-functional document for U.S. citizens, acting as a driver's license, proof of identity/citizenship, and a passport-alternative for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, while also meeting REAL ID standards for domestic air travel and federal facility access. It's essentially a standard ID with added border-crossing power, but not for international air travel.
Edited by CMN 1/7/2026 08:46
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Maduro, New York, Midterms
