Great op-ed last week in the Buffalo News by NYCLU Western Regional Director John Curr on Senator Schumer’s plan for a national biometric worker identification card.

Here’s a little taste to whet your appetite:

To his credit, Schumer recognizes that tearing apart families and deporting millions of people is impractical and inhumane. Unfortunately, his proposal to establish a biometric worker ID card would greatly expand the government intrusion into Americans’ private lives and likely kill immigration reform.

According to the proposal, everyone seeking work in the United States—citizens and immigrants — would have to obtain an ID card containing his photograph and biometric data, such as fingerprints or an iris scan. Employers would be required to verify job candidates’ identities against the biometric data embedded in the card.

This is much more invasive than a “super Social Security card.” Schumer’s proposals would create an entirely new identity document. Essentially, it would establish a national identification system, a concept long opposed by Americans across the political spectrum.

Check the full piece at the Buffalo News site here.