To Ease Immigrant Fears, Judge Rules the City Can Destroy IDNYC Applicant Data

WNYC News | Apr 7, 2017

The city has won a legal victory in the fight over the municipal ID program. A Staten Island judge ruled Friday that the city can destroy personal documents associated with the program, saying the purge would not pose a threat to national security.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed in December by two State Assembly members who wanted to prevent the city from destroying documents like copies of foreign passports, used to verify a person's identity when obtaining the IDNYC card.

Given President Trump's strict immigration policies, advocates were concerned that documents could be used against immigrants who are in the country illegally, putting them at risk of deportation.

The City Council voted in December to no longer keep copies of underlying documents after an application gets approved. The lawsuit only covers the first two years of the program, which began in 2015. 

However, the judge also issued a stay Friday, postponing any action until April 17, pending an appeal.

With reports from the Associated Press.

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