Some undocumented immigrants living in North Texas are getting church-issued identification cards through a local partnership.
While they're not official government-issued documents, some law enforcement agencies will recognize them.
The idea is to give immigrants here illegally the confidence to work with police, and to not be afraid of them. It's a new campaign, but so far some participants are reporting success using the church-issued IDs during traffic stops.
According to Dallas Area Interfaith, thousands of applicants are waiting for the cards and several hundred have already been handed out.
Dallas, Carrollton and Farmers Branch police departments have agreed to take them in place of a state-issued ID, but only at the discretion of each officer.
DAI says it negotiated that deal last November after the state's ban on sanctuary cities.
The group got the ball rolling with the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, but other faiths are expected to join the effort soon.
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In order to get a church-issued ID card, people must prove their identity, bring a witness and possibly even undergo a background check.
DAI said it also has new commitments from Dallas County Community Colleges to allow people to use the ID cards to register for adult learning classes there.
