Not necessarily. Not all states require an SSN in order to issue an ID.
> But think about America right now. Do you honestly think we could get national ID numbers?
Unfortunately (for all the reasons you mentioned and more), we're pretty close, as the REAL ID system is about to take effect.
That's going to be a huge problem for people living in the states that don't issue REAL IDs. It's also going to be a problem for legal immigrants and transgender people in every state.
I was under the impression that every single state requires an SSN to issue a driver's license or id card in order to track and enforce child support order across state lines.
Which states don't require an SSN to issue an ID?
Legal immigrants have passports, and ID cards/driver's licenses from their home country. I'm not sure what will require two forms of REAL ID compliant identification.
Nope. If they did, the impetus behind the REAL ID act wouldn't even be relevant, because illegal immigrants wouldn't be able to obtain a drivers' license or state ID.
> Which states don't require an SSN to issue an ID?
California is the biggest one, and in fact, California makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone who has a driver's license but cannot show legal residency.
Some states mark licenses as "not valid for identification" if they don't show legal residency, but it's usually subtle and easily overlooked or ignored. And the SSN isn't the only way to show legal residency, either.
> Legal immigrants have passports, and ID cards/driver's licenses from their home country.
For foreigners, passports are the only acceptable form of identification from foreign governments. Driver's licenses and other government IDs are not allowed, with the exception of driver's licenses from Canada.
Missourians have good reason to distrust the DMV, as they have been caught red handed illegally useing their databases in the recent past.
But think about America right now. Do you honestly think we could get national ID numbers? Could you imagine people being asked for a DNA swab or fingerprint to establish their identity? The blow black would be monstrous, and I don't think it'd be entirely unjustified. With 1% of our population incarcerated or on probation, with no national health care and being the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, there is good reason for Americans not to trust their government. Add in all the fundie religious people crying "sign of the beast" and Alex Jones followers yelling "national RFID chips" and you're stuck with a situation that cannot change.