On November 7, City Council approved the creation of a new Municipal ID for New Orleanians. Municipal IDs are issued by local governments rather than the state or federal government, and have been adopted in cities across the country. Municipal IDs do not replace federal or state-issued IDs. However, they provide valid ID that can help holders access banking services, enter government buildings, rent apartments, get into shelters, and apply for jobs.
Councilmember Helena Moreno stated these IDs will be available to residents who may otherwise not be able to get a state ID, highlighting people being released from incarceration, survivors of intimate partner violence, unhoused people, and people who do not qualify for state ID. People will also be able to choose their gender marker on the ID. In an era of accelerating deportations where the president-elect has announced a goal of mass deportations that will target millions of undocumented Americans, it will be extremely important that this program protects the information of those enrolled (provisions for confidentiality are within the ordinance). The ID will be accepted at all City departments and will be available for all residents ages 10 and up. The ID will not be valid to use to register to vote. The following are a selection of comments (minimally edited for length and clarity) submitted in-person before the Council.
Thank you for saying “We will show up for vulnerable populations, we will show up to make sure that [people have] the dignity of having an ID.” Common, the hip-hop artist, was like, “Why do I need ID to get ID?” You know, it just don’t make no sense, right? And so it really shows not just the compassion, but just a basic point of entry, of how we enter the city. And so we are becoming more welcoming and more inclusive, and it’s taken some years, but we are excited about working on the back end to make sure that everyone’s data is protected, to make sure that all of the process is in place, not just to remove barriers, but to protect people.1Mary M. (Our Voice, Nuestra Voz)
I just want to say that I’m very proud to see our city putting this forward and really taking this tremendous step for marginalized groups, for people that are New Orleanians, but maybe have felt left out of the loop, or unable to access the services, unable to be part of the community. I think this is just a huge thing that’s going to be great for the fabric of our city. And I want to just extend a special thanks to you, Councilmember Moreno and Sayde [Finkel, Chief of Staff for Helena Moreno]. I remember working on this way back in 2019, researching and figuring out what it could look like and lessons learned in other cities, and just really proud to see where New Orleans is and that we’re making this happen.2Taylor C. (Our Voice, Nuestra Voz)
We work with a population very similar to the folks that work with reentry, and they are given official government IDs or copies of these IDs, but most entities here just are not familiar with these IDs, or do not accept them. So we urge Council to continue to support this initiative to make sure that individuals have access to valid IDs in a city that also faces displacement. I think it’s really important to make sure that our populations and our communities feel safe. Thank you for fostering a more inclusive and supportive community for all.3Lilian A. (Home is Here NOLA)
I also work with Home Is Here NOLA, and I really just want to express my pride, to be here in this moment with all of you, acknowledging that this can be a real protection for people who may or may not be profiled, facing really incredible barriers and odds in our community. It’s such a beautiful and powerful moment of standing behind the values of belonging. We’re really proud to be supporting the city and its efforts to become a certified Welcoming City, and especially now, when people really need to hear and see us standing behind the message that we all belong and we’re making the best efforts that we can to stand side-by-side with one another, this really does send a very powerful message.4Julie Y. (Home is Here NOLA)
To follow up on this issue, you can email your City councilmembers. To submit a public comment, follow instructions at council.nola.gov. Interested in reading all comments after a meeting? You can email your councilmember or file a public records request.
illustration by Sadie Wiese
