I place this in the category of quick practical solutions to make one’s life easier. No requirement to do so, but an easy fix which can streamline interaction, and thus may be worthwhile to do so. In a similar scenario, my minor children frequently travelled alone in the US. While they were underage and thus had no legal requirement to show photo id to TSA, doing so made the security experience much faster and more pleasant. One did forget photo id once, and nearly missed the plane due to prolonged questioning, which TSA was legally well within its rights to do. So while not a requirement, quick fixes can go a long way toward making life easier.
As a non-white person, if someone asked me to prove my citizenship, my first response would be “Prove yours to me, or else I will call DHS.” Yes, I am cantankerous that way.
@hebegebe , you certainly have the right to that response. But I, personally, don’t have the time or desire to engage in the prolonged consequences that may ensue-I have lots of other obligations to attend to, as do my children, and would prefer to minimize the conflict as quickly as possible. I really don’t have time for extensive questioning, or mistaken identity issues that take a while to work out. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Depending on her state of residency she might be able to obtain a state issued “enhanced” DL or ID. These require proof of citizenship but once obtained also serve as proof of citizenship; for example, one can use these instead of a passport to travel between the US, Canada, and Mexico by land or sea, but not by air.
Here’s a link to the New York State enhanced non-driver ID.
https://dmv.ny.gov/id-card/get-enhanced-non-driver-id-endid
I believe approximately five states are currently participating in this program.
I am an election moderator. My state does NOT issue “voter identification cards”. So here…that would not work.
@sherpa yes, it’s called an enhanced driver’s license here too! Thank you!!
OP here – accosted by “citizen enforcement” yes, that’s a quote, on mass transit. that time, an older gentleman deflected/distracted the interaction. the other time we were all at a public event and a woman was demanding to see if people had registered to vote, and then wanted proof you were allowed to. DH and DS were already physically in front of SO as this woman approached, but security got there first. It was scary. Her parents live in a city already crawling with ICE agents. (sounds like a bad movie). She did tell me her passport is in her phone as a .pdf
John Stoessel’s coverage of this informed my questions. I realize he is a polarizing figure, but the dashcams of ordinary people having windows broken, ID checked, and in a few cases, being tased, made me feel that all of us need to have ID. I imagine national citizenship cards are not too far away.
In NYS, you can get an enhanced Drivers License or non- Drivers ID
You can also get an enhanced drivers license in Michigan, Vermont and Washington.
Depending on state - of residence - also state - of SO’s naturalization paperwork from the international adoption - it seems there might be some alternatives. I’d recommend the state issued id card as a convenient document to carry around for a number of purposes other than citizenship (age verification etc.).
https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/proof-us-citizenship-and-identification-when-applying-job
@greenbutton - “citizen enforcement”? Holy cow. I would call the police. I’m so sorry for your family experiencing this.
We spent several summer in upstate NY near the Canadian border shortly after 9/11. It was not unusual to encounter ID checks along I-87. A friend, green card, but Japanese citizen was given some level of difficulty when she couldn’t produce any documentation of her status. Carrying a state ID, passport card, passport or other official documentation is a very good idea. Absolutely disgusting about “citizen police”, however!!
Carry a cell phone and call 911 if a random jerk demands ID. Regardless of your status, that’s unacceptable. Period. I can’t imagine cooperating with that.
edited to add: If it is law enforcement or federal agency, then a copy of the passport on the cell phone sounds logical.
@thumper1, you have no receipt from voter registration? that seems highly unlikely. I’ve lived (and registered to vote) in 7 states, and in each, there was some type of paper receipt that indicated you had registered to vote; I would be surprised if some states gave you no evidence that the transaction had occurred, but perhaps.
People in this state do get a letter indicating their registration to vote was processed. It is NOT usable as a form of identification. It simply means they are registered to vote.
as OP clarified these requests for id are from private citizens, really no action is required. They can be ignored, just like countless other interactions with crazies, belligerents, etc, on public transport in urban areas. an unpleasant side effect of life.
with the sorts of things happening to citizens of color across the country, I think to say “just ignore them” cannot be your entire action plan. similarly, calling the police when you are on mass transit does not necessarily solve the immediate problems of safety, nor do police . Border agents are active in scores of towns we wouldn’t consider border towns, and for some of us this is a practical consideration. Not an unplesant side effect.
A copy of her passport should solve her ID problem. We do it when we are traveling overseas and no one makes a big deal out of it. BTW, I am non- white.
I also work as an election inspection, in NYS, and we are not allowed to ask for ID and, apparently, voter ID cards are no longer issued since none of my children who have registered to vote commencing in 2008 has received a card. I still have my first one issued in 1977. Techson17 will be eligible to register to vote soon and I will see if he is given a card.
However, if the person the OP is asking about is a citizen or legal resident, they should be able to get some legal proof of ID.
In response to another comment made earlier, I often leave the house without ID. If I am going walking locally or am going to be driven someplace, I will go with just my cell phone and some cash. I also don’t go to events like weddings or bar mitzvot with ID other than my DL ,if I have driven. I had my purse snatched at a wedding once. Typically, when I go to work the only ID I carry is my state issued ID card for lawyers and my photo ID for getting into my building. I am driven to and from the train station so I don’t need my DL.
If she is being accosted by private citizens, no document may be adequate to satisfy their unreasonable demands. If she is questioned by government officers, you’ve been given several alternatives which they will accept as proof of US citizenship if need be.
Border concerns aside, I’ve told my children to never leave the house without identification and a health insurance card. Just in case.
That’s just good common sense suggestion. One never knows when you need them. What if you have an accident and no ID? If one is afraid of losing official ID, bring copies with you.
Make sure she and your son read up on their rights. They don’t need to answer anything.
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-questioned-about-your-immigration-status
I’d be tempted to call the police if some citizen bully questioned me - or even pretend to call police on my cell. Usually bully types will back down if they think law enforcement would become involved.
If I ever thought I was in physical danger, and if legal in my jurisdiction, I might consider carrying some sort of personal defense spray and treat them no different than any other assailant if they laid hands on me.