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Figure 1

Identification by Card

Source: Jim Harper, Identity Crisis: How Identification Is Overused and Misunderstood (Washington: Cato Institute,

2006).

The process of

pare the photograph on the card to a copy of

fied that the card is about the subject, the ver-

the photograph appearing on the employer's

ifier accepts the information on the card.

identifying

computer screen via the EEV system. If the

Each of these three steps is a point of

someone by card

photographs do not match, the employee is

weakness and an opportunity for false infor-

issued a tentative nonconfirmation.

mation to creep in. In the first step, the sub-

is important and

This crosscheck does not solve the hard

ject may supply the card issuer with false

valuable. But the

problem--people entering the ID system

information (including false documents), or

identification-by-

through fraud or corruption--but it does pro-

the subject may corrupt employees within

vide security against one type of forgery attack

the card issuer, causing them to issue a gen-

card process is

on the EEV system. DHS desires to collect pass-

uine, but inaccurate, card. A fraudulently or

also fraught with

port photos from the State Department and

corruptly acquired genuine card will almost

driver's license photos from DMVs around the

certainly deceive any later employer.

weaknesses.

country to expand this program from DHS-

At issue in the second step is the security of

issued documents to all Americans' passports

the card against forgery or tampering. Although

and driver's licenses. This expansion, of course,

many government-issued ID documents are

involves creating a national photo-ID database.

quite resistant to forgery and tampering, the

The photo verification tool may cause

broadened use of these documents (including

employers to spend a little more time consid-

for immigration control) has increased the value

ering the appearance of the new hire, but just

of forging and altering them. Employers, who

as likely, employers will believe that comparing

would be acting against their interests to discov-

the images on the card and computer is all

er such things, cannot be expected to discover

they need to do. That procedure does nothing

forgery or tampering of any decent quality.

to establish whether the person presenting the

A photo-screening tool pilot program

card is the person it was issued to. What mat-

recently initiated by DHS is intended to detect

certain forgeries.45 When a noncitizen new hire

ters is that the picture on the card is a picture

of the person presenting it.

presents a DHS-issued permanent resident

This is the third step in the identification-

card or employment authorization document,

by-card process, comparing the identifiers on

employers in this program are required to com-

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