Tuesday, June 13, 2006

How safe are we?

Apparently, not very safe when someone can get in to the Department of Homeland Security with a fake ID:

Retired New York City policeman Bruce DeCell, who had arranged to meet with DHS officials to lobby for document security, purposely used a forged version of identification that Mexican consulates in the United States issue to their nationals living here illegally. . . .

Undocumented Mexicans can use the cards at banks and other institutions that accept them. The cards are not valid for entry into federal government buildings.

***

DeCell told CNN that a friend in California bought him the fake Mexican card, which he used last week for the Department of Homeland Security meeting.

"I sent him a passport-size photo and the spelling of my name, and he had the card made for me on the street," he said.

Prior to his meeting with DHS officials, DeCell was asked to furnish his name, Social Security number and birth date, so they could be compared by security personnel to a valid form of picture identification. The building security accepted his matricula card, even though it listed a phony date of birth, he said.

***

DeCell said he has used the card for years in airports and other sensitive locations, but was still astonished that he was able to use it to enter the headquarters of the DHS, the federal agency charged with determining secure IDs.


I agree with Chris -- we pay waaaaaay too much for this to happen.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Maybe they should build a bigass fence around the DHS building. That'll keep the illegals out.