The California Assembly on Monday approved legislation that would allow legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico to obtain city and county services by displaying an identification card issued by the Mexican Consulate. The bill, AB 522, would enable such cards to be used for acquiring marriage or business licenses, for example, or for borrowing library books or securing senior citizen discounts on public transportation. “This is probably one of the most important bills of the year to Mexican nationals in California,” said Assemblyman Manny Diaz, D-San Jose, who wrote AB 522 and has been an outspoken supporter of immigrant rights. The measure would not alter the immigration status of anyone having Mexican ID cards, nor would it allow the cards to be used for obtaining welfare or other federal benefits. Separate legislation, AB 25, would require California state agencies to accept consular ID cards from Mexico and other nations. Legislators also are debating bills that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and qualify for basic college aid. Full Story
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