Middletown issues its first photo ID cards

Two people from the social justice and immigration advocacy group Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson helped translate for ID-seekers who primarily speak Spanish.

The program is a years-old idea that came to fruition in October, when the Middletown Common Council unanimously voted to create the cards.

Advocates from Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson, and unaffiliated Middletown residents, lobbied the council for months to adopt the program, saying it would benefit undocumented immigrants; create civic pride among everyone in the city,; could boost local spending at businesses opting for residential discounts; and provide identification cards to people who can’t easily obtain driver’s licenses, like the homeless, elderly and children.