New Orleans has officially announced the launch of its Crescent City ID program, aimed at providing municipal identification cards to residents who may struggle to obtain conventional identification. Her city’s office of human rights and equity has been championing this effort. Overall, it seeks to encourage this sense of inclusion amid the rich cultures and communities of New Orleans.
In November, New Orleans City Council authorized the program. This decision was in direct response to increasing pressures for accessibility as the national immigration policies continued to emerge. The program will begin accepting applications in early September. Residents who would like a Crescent City ID are required to present the appropriate documentation. Passports and birth certificates are acceptable, but only if the holder applies for them in the interim.
Mary Moran, a local advocate, shared her excitement for the program, saying,
“I’m really excited that the municipal ID is here and that folks will now have access to a safe and inclusive way of being able to identify themselves.”
The Crescent City ID program is incredibly meaningful for New Orleans’ migrant communities. This importance increases with each day that the Trump administration intensifies its attack on undocumented people across the country. Immigrant rights organizations have been powerful advocates for the measure. To them, it is the indispensable line of defense amid mounting attacks on sanctuary cities.
As the Crescent City ID program implements now, cities such as Los Angeles and New York State face litigation from the federal government in their implementation of these programs. These challenges center on their sanctuary policies. A federal court in Illinois, just last week, threw out a challenge to Chicago’s sanctuary status.
In New Orleans, applicants’ privacy has been a clear priority for the program as expressed by the municipal government. To safeguard people applying for ID, the office handling ID applications will only keep the minimum personal data necessary. This promise to protect applicants’ information is especially important with the increased targeting of immigrant communities under a more hostile political climate.
City leaders, including New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and City Council Vice-President Helena Moreno have been strong advocates of this effort. The City’s new Municipal ID Program is designed to provide all St. By making it easier for all communities to access city services and furthering the local economy, this initiative is contributing to the improvement of residents’ overall quality of life.
“The Municipal ID Program aims to provide all residents of the City of New Orleans with a secure and inclusive form of identification that enhances access to city services, supports the local economy, enhances the quality of life of its residents and fosters a sense of belonging in the community,” – [February document].