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Many things

in adapting it to new uses. In the immigration

very often. But if all identification cards and

area alone, proposals have been made to regu-

licenses were the same, as under REAL ID, or if

could be

late housing in the same way as employment.

a national EEV card were used, economies of

brought within

In Hazelton, Pennsylvania, for example, the

scale would exist in producing card readers,

the purview of

demagogic mayor sought and passed a law in

software, and databases to capture and use this

2006 making it illegal for landlords to "har-

information. Americans would inevitably be

federal authori-

bor" illegal aliens.54 In another 10 years, the

asked more and more often to produce an ID

ties if a national

card and to share the data from that card when

failure of EEV to weaken the economic mag-

they engaged in various governmental and

net of the United States might convince feder-

system for

commercial transactions.

al lawmakers that they must take this same

tracking and

Others would capitalize in turn on the

step.

controlling

information harvested using national ID

The right to necessities other than housing

cards and collected in state databases. Massed

could be conditioned on legal status. Given

individuals were

personal information--publicly and privately

the failure of employment restriction to deter

in place.

held--would be an irresistible attraction to

illegal immigration, financial services could be

DHS and many other governmental entities,

denied to all those who cannot prove their law-

which would dip into deep wells of data about

ful presence through an adapted EEV system.

American citizens for an endless variety of pur-

Federal legislation proposed in the 110th

poses.

Congress would regulate the documentation

Many people believe they have nothing to

that non-U.S. persons may use to open finan-

hide and feel willing to have their employ-

cial accounts in the name of terrorism and

immigration control.55 Legislation has also

ment tracked if it will stop illegal immigra-

tion. Unfortunately, it will not. Moreover,

been proposed to encourage public colleges

most people who make the nothing-to-hide

and universities to verify the immigration sta-

tus of students.56

claim balk when they are actually confronted

with stark choices about privacy.

Enforcement of immigration law is just

People have things to hide. Maintaining a

one of many uses EEV would be put to once

private life is normal and natural. Indeed,

established. Many things could be brought

many people object on principle to compila-

within the purview of federal authorities if a

tions of information about themselves, no

national system for tracking and controlling

matter who is doing it and no matter what the

individuals were in place.

purpose. This is consistent with life in a free

Health care is an area that would be ripe for

country, where law-abiding citizens can pro-

electronic tracking. Whether to enforce immi-

tect their privacy for any reason or no reason.

gration law, implement a health insurance

Any electronic employment verification

mandate, create a national health records

system will be a target for hackers, a data

database, or carry out any other health policy

breach waiting to happen, a threat to the iden-

vogue, the national tracking system created

tity system we rely on today, and a surveillance

for EEV could be adapted to federal govern-

system for both corporate and government

ment priorities in the health arena. A DHS

use. Even if many of these flaws in a national

official recently suggested that a national ID

be required for purchasing cold medicine.57

EEV system could be mitigated, it is not a sys-

tem that Americans should want. A successful

An EEV system could take that policy a step

EEV system would see mission creep from its

further and deny medicines and other pur-

first day.

chases to Americans without proper docu-

mentation.

Mission Creep

The federal government might apply a

If an EEV system reliably identified people

national EEV system to gun control. When

and determined their legal status under feder-

an EEV system exists, having purchasers of

al law, federal authorities would waste no time

guns prove they are citizens or legally entitled

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