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ID cards used for a lot more these days in some cities

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2015 file photo, people wait in line to apply for municipal identification cards on the first day they were available at the Bronx Library Center, in the Bronx borough of New York. ID cards issued by a growing number of U.S. cities to make it easier for immigrants living in the country illegally and poor people to open bank accounts and access social services are now being used as passes for anything from pharmacy discounts to free museum memberships. Detroit's IDs, set to launch later in September 2016, follow the U.S. Supreme Court's recent deadlock on a decision effectively blocking an Obama administration plan to shield millions of immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2015 file photo, people wait in line to apply for municipal identification cards on the first day they were available at the Bronx Library Center, in the Bronx borough of New York. ID cards issued by a growing number of U.S. cities to make it easier for immigrants living in the country illegally and poor people to open bank accounts and access social services are now being used as passes for anything from pharmacy discounts to free museum memberships. Detroit's IDs, set to launch later in September 2016, follow the U.S. Supreme Court's recent deadlock on a decision effectively blocking an Obama administration plan to shield millions of immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

By Associated Press 4 min read

DETROIT (AP) – Identification cards issued by a growing number of U.S. cities to make it easier for immigrants living in the country illegally and poor people to open bank accounts and access social services are now being used as passes for anything from pharmacy discounts to free museum memberships.

And there’s hope they can make immigrants feel more at home amid the unwelcoming rhetoric of this presidential campaign season.

Pushed by immigrant advocates and others, the ID cards were first introduced almost a decade ago in New Haven, Connecticut. San Francisco followed and expanded what the cards could do. New York City launched the country’s most ambitious program last year.

Detroit will soon become the latest city with a municipal IDs program.

“I think for me it’s important to emphasize it’s not about immigration. It’s about building inclusive democracies and removing barriers in our communities,” said Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who helped lead the effort in her city.