For Immediate Release

Mayor Stanton Has Deciding Vote on Municipal ID that would benefit marginalized community members

What: City Council Vote on One PHX ID

When: Wednesday, December 16 at 3:00pm

Where: City Council Chambers, 200 W Jefferson

Who: Members of the One PHX ID coalition, including immigrant and worker rights organizations, LGBTQ advocacy groups, homeless service organizations, arts advocates, and concerned community members

Phoenix, AZ– The Phoenix City Council will vote on a proposal to move ahead with research for a municipal identification card that would be available for all Phoenix residents. Four Democratic Councilmembers (Laura Pastor, Michael Nowakowski, Kate Gallego, and Daniel Valenzuela) have pledged their support, so advocates are pushing Mayor Greg Stanton to commit to a yes vote to ensure passage of the policy. The One PHX ID card would benefit many marginalized communities in Phoenix, including undocumented immigrants, survivors of domestic violence, homeless people, elders, transgender people, and youth.

Viridiana Hernandez of the Center for Neighborhood Leadership says, “Wednesday’s vote will decide whether Phoenix is truly an inclusive city, or whether the Mayor’s talk is just that.   Denouncing Trump’s hate speech is not enough, we need the Mayor to take action to champion the One PHX ID to benefit our most vulnerable communities.“

Maricruz Ramirez of Puente says, “To be able to open a bank account or call the police because we experience some form of abuse is a privilege that many do not have, as we do not have a document that represents us. I have watched many people in my community be detained and even deported for the simple fact of not having a valid ID. I hope that the Mayor and the City Council do everything in their power to change that this Wednesday.”

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