Should the U.S. have a national ID card? Many countries issue national ID cards. so far, the U.S. has resisted the idea.

• Author: Keller, Bill
• Position: DEBATE

A national ID card is a necessary part of any comprehensive immigration reform.

YES The United States, unlike many other developed democracies, does not require a national identification card. I understand that the idea of a national ID comes with some chilling history, but I believe it's a necessary part of any comprehensive immigration reform, because we need a reliable way for employers to check the legal status of prospective workers.

The most potent argument against an ID is that the government-or some hacker-might access your information and use it to mess with your life. But we should be able to design an ID that would effectively control illegal hiring without stirring fears of Big Brother.

An appropriate national ID would contain only the information that establishes your eligibility to work here. Just as passports are required for traveling abroad and library cards for checking out books, the ID would be required for starting a job. It should apply to future hires only, to avoid forcing employers to be part of a national witch hunt.

One approach would be to start with a plastic version of the Social Security card and embed it with a chip containing biometric information: a fingerprint, an eye scan, or a digital photo. The employer would swipe the card and match it to the real you. Unlike your present Social Security card, the new version would be useless to a thief because it would contain your unique identifier. The information would not need to go into a database.

It's time for Americans to master their anxieties about a national ID card.

--BILL KELLER

Columnist, The New York Times

In Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, governments used ID systems to control and oppress people.

NO National ID advocates made real headway in 2005 when Congress, still rattled by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passed a law that aimed to turn state driver's...