04/29/07 Email exchange
Dear Hal, I am an illegal alien from Honduras living in Los Angeles. Honduras has not yet petitioned L.A. for foreign IDs for their illegal aliens. Can I get a Mexican matricula ID and would it be of benefit to me?
Dear Illegal alien,
You really should get the ID because Criminal Friendly Cities like Los Angeles that recognize the ID, will make life easier for you. Mexican IDs can be used in lieu of a driver's license to access a wide range of public services in the City and County of Los Angeles. You don't have to be a Mexican. You only have to present a forged Mexican Birth Certificate to the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles.
I have an Anglo friend who is a Criminal. Can he get a Mexican ID?
Technically, yes. But unlike our local authorities, the Mexican Government profiles. The Consulate might get suspicious of your friend if he has blond hair and blue eyes.
If I only have a matricula ID, what happens if I get stopped for going through a red light. Will I be deported?
No. Upon presenting your Mexican ID, the LAPD officer who stops you, will know that you are illegally in the country but he has orders not to hassle you about your immigration status. Deporting you would defeat the purpose of the ID. You will only get a ticket.
Will I have to pay the ticket?
No. You won't have to pay the ticket because it will be too much trouble to track you down. But to be on the safe side, you should have several false Mexican IDs to show on different occasions to confuse the LAPD regarding your identity. None of your IDs should have the correct address or contact information. LAPD officers will not be able to do a "make" on you to verify any information you give them. Remember, once an LAPD officer gives you a ticket, he's done and you are on your way.
What if I am a fugitive and get stopped for going through a red light in a car that I just stole. Will I go to jail?
No. There is no matricula ID database available to the LAPD as there is for valid drivers licenses. When you present your Mexican ID to the LAPD officer, he will have no way of knowing that you are a serial killer or that you just stole the car you were stopped in. The worst that will happen is that the car you just stole will be impounded and the officer will tell you that you will have to walk home. But you won't have to walk home if you steal another car.
I presently have a fake California driver's license, is there an advantage to also obtaining a Mexican ID?
Yes. There is a big advantage for criminals to use a Mexican ID instead of a fake (or valid) California driver's license. If you are stopped by an LAPD officer for an infraction, he won't know that you are a criminal if you show a Mexican ID. That's why it is a good idea to leave your California driver's license home.
What happens if the Mexican Consulate figures out that I am trying to obtain a Mexican ID with a false birth certificate?
Nothing. But they won't let you have the ID.