Providence pursuing municipal ID program

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza is considering a municipal identification program for the city. Elorza spoke to about 100 community members Tuesday night about the program, which would provide identification cards to people who may have trouble obtaining a state ID. Those people include homeless people, undocumented immigrants, and transgender people. “The program would affirm people’s residency in the city regardless of immigration, housing status, or criminal history,” Elorza told the room. “We want to show people they belong here not in spite of differences they bring, but because of differences they bring.” Theresa Agonia, the mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, said that the municipal ID program would not only make formal identification more accessible, it would also provide more flexible options for self-identifying under categories like gender. “I’m excited about there being a form of identification that people can get without having to jump through quite so many hoops to get it,” said Lucas Hawthorne, a gender nonconforming person who volunteers with Youth Pride Inc. “From a personal perspective I’m really excited about that idea of people being able to pick their own gender marker.” Whereas most state and other common IDs only allow people to select “M” or “F”, a municipal ID could also have an option “X” for nonbinary/gender-nonconforming individuals, Hawthorne said. The program is still in initial stages of planning, but Elorza said that the municipal ID card could give people access to the library and other services. These benefits might include discounts to the city’s arts and museum offerings. Municipal ID programs in other cities, like New Haven, New York City and Oakland, have been successful due to the benefits — 50% of people who signed up in New York City did it for the benefits, according to Agonia. One issue that the Mayor’s Office said they’re still working out is how to deal with people’s sensitive information in the most secure way. They’re looking into contracting a third-party ID card manufacturer through a public bidding process, but want to be sure that everyone’s information, like as their immigration status, would be stored or discarded safely. Elorza said he will continue to solicit feedback from city residents, and that he hopes to roll out the program within six months.