IS THE STAR ID REALLY A NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD?

Guest Opinion by Ann Eubank

A majority of the world’s countries already have them, but to this point in time the US has rejected their use. Supposedly our Constitution affords us privacy rights in the 4th Amendment other countries do not have: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, SHALL not be violated, and no Warrants SHALL issue, but upon probable cause, …..”  

However, after the September 11 attacks, Congress passed the REAL ID Act into law in 2005 to be utilized for “federal purposes” such as entering federal buildings and boarding airplanes, whether domestic or international flights.  The implementation date has been delayed several times.  But, according to the new Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, May 7, 2025, is the final deadline and must be met by all states. Sarah Palin, a conservative, replied to Secretary Noem’s edict with the comment; “Or What? Evidently existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now, so Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country?”

The Federal Government is requiring all states to issue their citizens a “STAR ID” now. In the opinion of Cambridge University Law Society, REAL ID also violates the 10th Amendment by infringing on the jurisdiction of individual states by compelling states to adopt federal standards.

Although most states have half-heartedly been requiring license renewal for a STAR ID mainly because of the onerous requirements, states all across the country are now pushing hard to meet that deadline, causing a last-minute rush with long lines to procure one.  

Exactly what is a “STAR ID?”  According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) web site, it is a “Secure, Trusted And Reliable,” (STAR) part of a nationwide effort to improve the integrity and security of state-issued driver licenses and identification cards, which, in turn, will help fight terrorism and reduce fraud. 

What is necessary to receive one of these STAR IDs?  Well, it’s not a convenient process.  You must visit one of the state’s driver’s licensing examining offices across the state (We are talking Arkadelphia Road in Birmingham!) and present documents to verify:

1.) your identity/date of birth

2.) proof of social security number, and

3.) two documents to verify address of principal residence

A list of acceptable documents is located on alea.gov.  Heaven help you if your name has been changed or if it is different on any of the corresponding documents.

According to the ACLU, (I’m not a fan, but they are spot on with this one), “if fully implemented, the law would facilitate the tracking of data on individuals and bring government into the very center of every citizen’s life.  By definitively turning driver’s licenses into a form of national identity documents, REAL ID would have a tremendously destructive impact on privacy. It would also impose significant administrative burdens and expenses on state governments, and mean higher fees, longer lines, repeat visits to the DMV, and bureaucratic nightmares for individuals.”

As a frequent traveler, both domestic and internationally, I have a passport and TSA pre-clearance. I carry my passport any time I travel, even within the US. Of course, the government hasn’t told you that a US-issued passport can be used instead of a STAR ID.

So here’s my question. If you decide NOT to get a STAR ID, can you use your passport as an ID to vote? Will buying alcohol be difficult? Can you open a bank account without one? Or for any other things that you use a driver’s license? What will happen to you personally if you refuse to get one? At what point down the line will we be required to have a “National ID?”

If you think REAL ID or STAR ID is about election integrity, reducing fraud, or catching illegals and/or terrorists, you haven’t read Kash Patel’s book Government Gangsters. It’s all about personal data, money and control.

In my opinion—and this author has quite a few on the subject of government overreach, both state and federal—this is a backdoor method for a nationwide registration of citizens with all of the corresponding data entered into a national database that will follow your every movement or worse. With AI on the horizon, what else could they do to us with all of this information?

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  Benjamin Franklin

Ann Eubank is Chair of Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, “the most conservative grassroots organization in Alabama. Alabama Legislative Watchdogs can be contacted through their Facebook page. 

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