New identification card created for immigrants One local bank says it'll use it in place of Social Security numbers By Patti Zarling News-Chronicle Banks, the Mexican Consulate and even the federal government are working to make doing business easier for the nation's and Brown County's growing Hispanic population. Micabil Diaz, director of legal services for the American Civil Liberties of Wisconsin Foundation and formerly of Green Bay, said new identification cards created by the consulate will help put a stop to the burgeoning business of people selling false Social Security numbers and ID papers at outrageous prices to scared immigrants. "There have been many cases, including in Green Bay, where people have been charged with selling false identification," he said. "This gives people without Social Security numbers a way to go about their business without living in fear." Eric Smith of the Internal Revenue Service said his department created the tax identification numbers a few years back, formalizing temporary cards it had used before. "They were created for situations where people who are not citizens for whatever reason didn't have social security numbers," he said. "We know our cards definitely help Hispanics, although they're designed for anyone who has a reason to file a tax return." North Shore Bank recently became the first Wisconsin-based financial institution to accept the matricula consular ID cards as valid identification for consumers opening new checking and savings accounts. Customers using the cards can open a special Matricula checking and savings accounts at any of the bank's branches. An additional photo ID and IRS tax number are required. The bank also will issue two ATM cards, one of which can be sent to family in Mexico and used to access funds at ATM's there. "Providing an extra ATM card for relatives in Mexico is cheaper and safer than wiring or mailing cash," said Don Cohen, a spokesman for North Shore Bank. "And using banking services will greatly reduce the cost of cashing checks, paying bills and sending money back home for many Mexican citizens in Wisconsin." According to the Federal Reserve, one in every four Hispanic households in the United States has no bank account. Maria Monreal-Cameron, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, said the bank's efforts should have a significant local impact. She noted the number of Mexicans living in Wisconsin has more than doubled between 1990 and 2000, and that Mexicans comprise more than 65 percent of the state's Hispanic population. Brown County has an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 Hispanic residents. Monreal-Cameron said the buying power of the 35 million Hispanics in the U.S. is estimated at about $425 billion. "Increasing accessibility to banking services and opportunities is good not only for the Mexican and Hispanic community, but also for our state and country as a whole," she said. Amparo Baudhuin, immigration assistant for Catholic Immigration Services at the Green Bay Catholic Diocese, said many banks in Brown County sponsor seminars and offer bilingual literature to make Hispanics familiar with financial services. She said many did not use banks in their homelands, because they often were corrupt. Even now, when buying cars or homes in Brown County, they often will save large amounts of cash at home and then make a purchase, she said. But immigrants who don't use banks also pay hefty charges, sometimes $15 or more, to have their paychecks cashed in stores or other places other than banks, or to purchase money orders to pay bills.