This document summarizes research on the experiences of undocumented immigrants in Washtenaw County, Michigan who lack state-issued IDs. Based on interviews with 10 undocumented immigrants who obtained the Washtenaw County ID, the research finds that: 1) Undocumented immigrants have faced discrimination and restricted access to resources like bank accounts, cash checking, library cards, and schools due to a lack of a current state-issued ID. 2) When facing structural barriers to resources linked to ID status, undocumented immigrants have employed various strategies to circumvent them, like asserting a right to community resources or using expired IDs or foreign IDs. 3) Not having a valid ID changes undocumented immigrants' lives

1. In June 2015, Washtenaw County implemented the Washtenaw ID as
a community-driven effort to enable marginalized communities to
gain access to social and economic resources that are often only ac-
cessible through use of a current government-issued ID. The intent of
this community-driven strategy is to provide access to an ID that rec-
ognizes all community members in an effort to improve integration
and access to community resources. As part of an ongoing evalua-
tion, the purpose of my research is to examine how undocumented
immigrants’lacking state-issued IDs previous experiences with dis-
crimination in different social settings, (e.g., with law enforcement
agents, in stores, at children’s schools), impact their sense of agency
and belonging. Furthermore, I investigate how undocumented immi-
grants navigate restricted access to resources because of a lack of
state-issued ID.
Background
Discrimination, Access and Navigation of Structural Barriers
among Undocumented Immigrants Lacking State-Issued IDs
Gloriela Iguina- Colón, Alana LeBrón, PhD, MS, Wiliam Lopez, MPH, PhD Candidate
Resisting restricted access to resources based on their state-is-
sued ID statues by asserting ownership over the resource.
“Ustedes no me aceptarían el ID porque estaba vencido... ? Yo abrí la
cuenta [del banco] con esto, entonces ahora porque me dicen… que
necesitan el ID vigente, si yo soy indocumentado entonces porque
hacen esto? Y así estuvimos… como hora o hora y media.”
“You are not accepting me because the ID is expired..? I opened a
[bank] account with this, so why are you saying now that you need a
current ID if I am undocumented… why are you doing this? So, we
went back and forth like that for about an hour or an hour and half.”
ConclusionIn this sample, participants described a range of experiences
in which access to economic and social resources, such as
bank accounts, cash-checking, library cards and access to
schools, were contingent on their presentation of a current
US-state issued ID. Undocumented men employed a range of
strategies to circumvent the structural barriers to resources
that are linked with ID status. These findings may enhance
understandings of the implications of local government-is-
sued identification for access to a range of private and public
resources.
Acknowledgements
We thank the participants of the Washtenaw ID evalua-
tion who shared their stories and participated in the
evaluation. We thank the ID Project for the opportunity
to work on the evaluation and learn about the Washten-
aw ID Project and UROP for allowing me the opportunity
to engage in research. Personal thanks to Emma Saraff
for making this experience so enjoyable and memorable,
Jake Gustaveson for listening and supporting me, and
Alana LeBrón for exposing me to this whole new world
of research and teaching me many things. Thank you.
ID is key. Get your Washtenaw ID today. Go to
Wastenawid.com.
Methods
Drawing on individual interviews with undocumented immigrants
who who obtained the Washtenaw County ID between June and
July 2015, we examine experiences with ID usage, and the implica-
tions of not having a current state issued ID and the implications of
not having a current state-issued ID for accessing resources that are
critically linked with health. The sample includes women and men
over the age of 18 who are of Mexican or Central American descent,
and residents of Washtenaw County, MI. A total of 10 individual in-
terviews were conducted with undocumented immigrants. This
analysis focuses on two interviews with undocumented men who
obtained their Washtenaw ID. We used inductive codes to analyze
interviews. I read all the transcripts of the interviews looking for mo-
ments in which the participant expressed feeling discriminated
against because of their ID status and how they respond to
ID-based barriers to accessing resources.
Results
Asserting a right to community resources by feeling like they
have a claim to membership in Washtenaw county
“Me dijeron no te podemos dar tarjeta.. Vives aquí, trabajas aquí y [la
biblioteca] es un servicio para la comunidad en general… y le dije
‘bueno, no es mi culpa’
“[The librarian] told me they couldn’t give [me] the [library] card…
You live here, work here and [the library] is a service for the commu-
nity in general… and I told her‘well, it’s not my fault [I don’t have an
ID]’”
Employing alternative resources to access resources that are
contingent on having a state-issued ID by showing expired
IDs, IDs from their home country.and other official but not cur-
rent state-issued documentation
.
“Cuando tu vas a pagar en cheques si no traes una identificación válida
no reciben cheque… así que tienes que pagarlo en cash… entonces a
veces dejas de hacer un tipo de vida que llevas simplemente por no
tener identificación tu vida cambia”(Johnny Walker)
“When you’re going to pay with a check if you don’t have a valid ID
with you they don’t accept the check… so you have to pay with cash…
so sometimes you stop living a certain lifestyle simply because you
don’t have an ID your life changes”