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submitted 23 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) by WindAqueduct@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

Please read Section 201(3)-(4) of the Real ID Act:

(3) OFFICIAL PURPOSE- The term 'official purpose' includes but is not limited to accessing Federal facilities, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft, entering nuclear power plants, and any other purposes that the Secretary shall determine.

(4) SECRETARY- The term 'Secretary' means the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Source: https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/real-id-act-text.pdf

In other words, the Secretary of Homeland Security has unilateral authority to expand the uses of real IDs. In their 2008 rule, DHS even doubled down:

"DHS does not agree that it must seek the approval of Congress as a prerequisite to changing the definition in the future (except of course to remove one of the three statutorily-mandated official purposes) as § 201(3) of the Act gives discretion to the Secretary of Homeland Security to determine other purposes."

Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/01/29/08-140/minimum-standards-for-drivers-licenses-and-identification-cards-acceptable-by-federal-agencies-for

That could include voting, accessing medical care, etc. Do you trust Kristi Noem with this power? Do you trust every future secretary with this power?

If not, I urge you to not get a real id if you don't have one, or turn in your real id for a state one if you do have one, and instead get a passport. The DHS cannot enforce anything if the majority of Americans refuse to get real ids. Let us not just bow down to a national id that invades our privacy and could be used to control us.

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[-] irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 7 hours ago

Can't put my correct gender on a passport like I can a real ID. And I need to be able to fly since it's the only feasible long distance transportation in this country. So, I need to keep mine.

[-] WindAqueduct@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

If you need a real id right now, absolutely keep it. I am not asking anyone to justify themselves for having one if they need it for personal reasons. I will however encourage you to get a passport with your correct gender as soon as it becomes possible (possibly in 4 years or sooner if the courts strike down trump's executive order).

this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2025
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