Proposed cards would contain fingerprints
A proposal by Democratic lawmakers, which would require all U.S. workers to carry a biometric identification card, has drawn sharp criticism from many activists.
The American Civil Liberties Union attacked the program for both its costs and concerns it would violate privacy, according to The Hill.
"Creating a biometric national ID will not only be astronomically expensive, it will usher government into the very center of our lives," ACLU legislative counsel Christopher Calabrese told the paper.
The proposal has been dubbed the "Believe" system, an acronym for Biometric Enrollment, Locally stored Information and Electronic Verification of Employment.
At a press conference announcing the program, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said that the biometric ID card has become a need.
"We live in a world where we take off our shoes at the airport," he said, "People understand that in this vulnerable world, we have to be able to present identification."
The announcement comes in the middle of a national immigration debate.
President Barack Obama has publicly criticized a new Arizona law that gives police the authority to stop people suspected of being in the country illegally.
Related ID News:
