DETROIT — To obtain a state ID card, a resident needs a social security number and three documents to prove state residency, legal presence and identity verification. That is too much for some Michiganders, who might have a complicated immigration status or lack permanent residence.

That is why the Detroit City Council is working on issuing municipal IDs. 

Council members Raquel Castañeda-López and Mary Sheffield announced the initiative at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Friday, July 31.

Castañeda-López said the city IDs aim to make life easier to Detroit’s most vulnerable communities, including immigrants, the youths, the elderly and the homeless. 

“We knew that a lot of our international students, young people, senior citizens and immigrants struggle to get IDs because the list of documents required by the state is somewhat restrictive,” Castañeda-López told The Arab American News. “It is also a big barrier to the homeless community.”

The councilwoman added that the ID will not replace a Michigan driver’s license, but it will be used for legal identification and to gain access to city services. 

She said the aim is to broaden the use of the Detroit ID and allow it to be used for admission to museums and libraries and discounts at city businesses.  

“The goal is to have a card that people can use, that’s easier to acquire and they can use it at multiple institutions,” she said at the press conference Friday.

Castañeda-López said the proposal is still in the making and nothing is finalized, but the city will not inquire about immigration status when issuing the identification card. 

“It will be a legitimate piece of ID to provide residents with civic engagement tools,” she said. “Civic engagement is a basic right.”

The councilwoman is partnering with community organizations, fellow council members and Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration to make the initiative become a reality. 

A drafted ordinance will be introduced to the council soon, and Castañeda-López expects the city to start issuing IDs early next year.