City of Newburgh OKs municipal ID cards

The Newburgh ID cards, like those in other area communities, will be available to all city residents but are intended to benefit people who lack traditional identification, including undocumented immigrants, senior citizens, youths and the homeless.

Municipal ID card programs in the region largely have been the result of a push by the group Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson. Ignacio Acevedo, lead organizer with the group, called Monday’s vote in Newburgh a huge win and said it supports the belief that every resident is a valued member of the community.

“The big win here is the community coming together, neighbor to neighbor, supporting each other, saying good things about each other, leaving some of that fear behind, and saying, ‘My neighbor has my back, and I got my neighbor’s,’” Acevedo said.