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The response I got stated that they were watching the progress of these programs and the country very closely right now, and said that the reason Seattle does not have such a program is because Washington state issues drivers licenses/state IDs to immigrants regardless of status.

Transcription of the email I got:

Thanks so much for contacting the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA).

We have been closely watching developments in other cities regarding a municipal identification program. Often cities will institute municipal ID systems because the state legislature has complied with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005. This act mandates that all states create a state-issued ID card (usually a driver’s license) that requires the bearer to present proof of legal residence. As you can imagine, this presents an obstacle for vulnerable immigrants who are undocumented/have no proof of legal residence.

Washington State is currently the only state that continues to issue driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status. Starting in 2018, the Department of Homeland Security will require passports or "enhanced" driver’s licenses to clear airport security. State legislators are trying to figure out how to respond in a way that's in keeping with our history as a welcoming state.

OIRA continues to remain vigilant of the developments in the state legislature regarding this issue.

Mayor’s Office Of Immigrant Affairs And The City Council Announce NYC Immigrant Information Desk

Today, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the City Council announced three new in-person resource hubs, called the NYC Immigrant Information Desk, creating central, hyperlocal resources for immigrant New Yorkers to access City services and receive referrals. (more…)

Mayors Office Releases First Report To Make NYC The Most Immigration Inclusive City In The USA

Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s Office of Immigrant Affairs today launched its first-ever annual report. MOIA’s 2017 Annual Report, “State of Our Immigrant City,” provides a demographic snapshot of the city’s immigrant communities, the barriers they face. (more…)

IDNYC 2018 Museum and Cultural Institution Benefits

IDNYC cardholders are now eligible for free one-year memberships at over 40 participating institutions in 2018.

Your IDNYC card must be valid. It DOES NOT matter when you received your card.

You can join any institution where you have not been a member since January 1, 2014. If you were a member after that date, you cannot get a free IDNYC membership at that institution. You are still eligible for the other memberships.

The following cultural institutions will provide free membership benefits to all eligible IDNYC cardholders in 2018:

American Museum of Natural History

BRIC

Bronx County Historical Society

Bronx Museum of the Arts

BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Carnegie Hall

Center for Performance Research

Central Park Zoo (enrollment is only available at the Bronx Zoo)

China Institute

The Drawing Center

Film Forum

Flushing Town Hall

International Print Center

Jacques Marchais Center for Tibetan Art

King Manor

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Opera

Museum at Eldridge Street

Museum of Arts and Design

Museum of Chinese in America

Museum of Jewish Heritage

Museum of Modern Art

Museum of the City of New York

New York Aquarium (enrollment is only available at the Bronx Zoo)

New York Botanical Garden

New York City Ballet

New York City Center

MoMA PS1

Park Avenue Armory

Pregones Theater

Prospect Park Zoo (enrollment is only available at the Bronx Zoo)

The Public Theater

Queens Museum

Queens Theatre

SculptureCenter

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

St. George Theatre

Staten Island Museum

Studio Museum in Harlem

Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling

Symphony Space