Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land says rumors about Michigan's enhanced drivers' licenses and state IDs are misleading.
Residents can choose the newly-designed cards as an option to a passport -- making it easier to travel between certain western-hemisphere countries and the U.S.
The state began offering the cards following federal mandates for national security in the wake of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks.
Secretary of State spokesperson Kelly Chesney says rumors circulating across the Internet suggest the enhanced cards might compromise carriers' personal information. Chesney says the cards are secure.
"It only has a unique identifier. It has no personal information whatsoever on that chip, and it allows us to connect with the federal government's secure database, and then they know immediately that you are a US citizen, and then it speeds you across the border. It lets them know that you are a U-S citizen, so you can gain reentry into the U-S. It saves time; it allows the license holder to cross the border faster. There's absolutely no personal information in the card. It only has a unique identifier that connects quickly with the federal database, which is a secure database, and like I said, allows you to gain reentry into the US."
The enhanced IDs contain radio chips that confirm US citizenship at border crossings. Chesney says those chips aren't in the state's standard licenses or ID cards.
Chesney says roughly 220,000 Michigan residents carry the enhanced cards, which can be used in place of a passport when traveling to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
Residents can choose the newly-designed cards as an option to a passport -- making it easier to travel between certain western-hemisphere countries and the U.S.
The state began offering the cards following federal mandates for national security in the wake of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks.
Secretary of State spokesperson Kelly Chesney says rumors circulating across the Internet suggest the enhanced cards might compromise carriers' personal information. Chesney says the cards are secure.
"It only has a unique identifier. It has no personal information whatsoever on that chip, and it allows us to connect with the federal government's secure database, and then they know immediately that you are a US citizen, and then it speeds you across the border. It lets them know that you are a U-S citizen, so you can gain reentry into the U-S. It saves time; it allows the license holder to cross the border faster. There's absolutely no personal information in the card. It only has a unique identifier that connects quickly with the federal database, which is a secure database, and like I said, allows you to gain reentry into the US."
The enhanced IDs contain radio chips that confirm US citizenship at border crossings. Chesney says those chips aren't in the state's standard licenses or ID cards.
Chesney says roughly 220,000 Michigan residents carry the enhanced cards, which can be used in place of a passport when traveling to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.