STEVEN V. SALVI

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OHIO JOBS & JUSTICE PAC (OJJPAC.ORG)

BOARD OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

ON

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2006

10:00 A.M.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Commission, I am pleased to be here to present testimony in regards to Mexico’s Matricula Consular Card.

It has come to my attention that Cuyahoga County Commissioners have been asked to consider the acceptance of Mexico’s matricula consular cards (MCC) as a valid form of identification. I urge the Commissioners to reject this proposal for the following reasons:

1. The MCC represents a substantial threat to US national security because MCC’s cannot be verified by local, state or federal law enforcement.

2. The MCC is easily counterfeited.

3. The current MCC program was established by the Mexican government for the purpose of circumventing US law.

4. Mexicans and other foreign nationals use the MCC to establish one or more fraudulent identities in the US in order to maintain their illegal presence on US soil.

5. It can also serve as a "get out of jail free" card, because it allows illegals to hide past criminal activity.

6. An ID is only as reliable as its issuer, and the Mexican government suffers from systemic corruption.

Any identification document (ID) is only as good as the credibility of its issuer and controls and system put in place to verify its authenticity.

The MCC is produced and issued by Mexico. As a foreign power, Mexico’s primary interests are to advance the economic and political interests of Mexicans, not Americans.

Mexico’s economic and political self-interest is the centerpiece for the creation of the modern MCC. Mexico’s sole purpose of distributing MCC’s within the US is to aid and abet Mexican nationals who have violated federal law, and are illegally on US soil.

TESTIMONY OF STEVEN V. SALVI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OHIO JOBS & JUSTICE PAC

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The ease in which anyone can obtain a MCC has been repeatedly demonstrated. Here are a few examples:

A US citizen named Bruce DeCell obtained a Mexican consular ID after his son-in-law was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Mr. DeCell used his MCC to pass through security and gain access to the Maryland House legislative office building. DeCell later testified before the Judiciary Committee about the security risks of the MCC.

A US citizen named Debra Burlingame purchased MCC’s for several US House Homeland Security Committee members and al-Qaeda leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. MS. Burlingame, whose brother was killed in the attack on the Pentagon in 2001, wanted to demonstrate to the Homeland Security Committee how easy it was to obtain MCC’s.

I want to make it clear that I do not believe the Mexican government distributes the MCC for terrorist purposes. However, due to the MCC’s weak security features, it will (or already has) become a "gateway" ID to establish terror cells within the US. The MCC’s not only allow terrorists to create multiple identities, the MCC is also used as a form of identity to secure housing, drivers licenses, loans, utilities, and banking services, which allow terrorist cells to operationally function while they complete and implement plans of attack. The 9-11 Commission Report drew the same conclusions.

Research indicates that although the Mexican government doesn’t distribute the MCC for the purpose of terrorism, it does market the MCC in order to subvert US immigration law to advance its economic and political influence.

Mexico’s economic objectives:

1. Increase remittances.

2. Limit Mexico’s spending on education and social services by encouraging Mexicans to use US based hospitals, schools, and social services.

Mexico’s political objective:

1. Flood the US will millions of Mexican nationals in order to expand Mexico’s influence over US internal politics and elections.

TESTIMONY OF STEVEN V. SALVI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OHIO JOBS & JUSTICE PAC

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This policy is evidenced by the 12 million Mexican illegal aliens now believed to be residing within the US and recent protests by hundreds of thousands of Mexican nationals on US soil.

U.S. taxpayers are now becoming more aware to the extent in which illegal immigration and the related issue of identity theft is taking a bite out of their bank accounts and security. The Mexican matricula consular card is a key component of both problems. Public officials should not advance the legitimacy of this card knowing that there is overwhelming evidence that it poses a security and economic threat to all Americans.

END OF TESTIMONY