The recently introduced IDNYC card will enable undocumented immigrants to open bank accounts and also enter federal buildings.

The new municipal program recently unveiled in the city of New York is all set to bring in changes for the city’s undocumented population. Although the card can be availed by all residents undocumented immigrants are expected to benefit the most. With an estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants living in New York city most of its population lives in the shadows of the rising skyscrapers of the metropolis.

Along with receiving a free 1-year membership to the city’s leading cultural institutions the IDNYC card will also enable undocumented immigrants to access state buildings and open bank accounts, with a number of financial institutions, like banks and credit unions.

One of the most tangible benefits stemming from the issuance of the card is legal protection from law enforcement in the case of an arrest. If an undocumented immigrant is arrested it becomes easier for the police to know who the person is, if he possesses an IDNYC card.

LIMITED BENEFITS OF THE CARD

There are some limits to the benefits that the IDNYC brings with it, however. For one, the card will not grant city, state or federal benefits and most importantly, it will not be considered a work authorisation permit. One of the possible solutions could be President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, which could grant temporary legal status to as many as five million undocumented immigrants across the country.