North Carolina legislators are moving to effectively ban a local ID program started by the Greensboro police department and a non-profit agency as a way to crack down on illegal immigration.

The department and FaithAction International House created an identification card for illegal immigrants that’s not an accepted form of government ID, but let’s them “access healthcare, city utilities like water and the library,” CBS 2 reports. Local law enforcement accept it, as well.

faithaction iD“So, we have people who are reporting domestic violence who have said specifically that I wouldn’t have come forward had we not had this idea and had the trust and know that I wasn’t going to go to jail for coming forward to speak with you,” Greensboro Police Capt. Mike Richey says.

On Monday night, legislators approved a bill by a 28-17 vote that would ban “sanctuary cities” in the state — effectively ending the ID card program.

But Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott defended the program, saying if someone can’t convince an officer of his real name and address, then the police must arrest him. He says the IDs allow for fewer arrests and “tying up the court system,” according to the Greensboro News & Record.

“Victims come forward who do not or ordinarily come forward,” he claims.

But others are saying it’s high time to stop enabling illegal immigrants.

“We feel it is past time to crack down on the illegal alien problem NC is experiencing,” North Carolinians For Immigration Reform and Enforcement says in a statement. “These can not be verified for authenticity and are no more than fake ID cards. Anyone else in NC making one of these would be arrested.”

Republican Sen. Norman Sanderson believes ID cards should be uniform throughout the state to ensure an identification is “accurately portraying who that person is really claiming to be.”

According to the paper, HB 318 would also:

  • Prevent all North Carolina cities and counties from adopting “sanctuary” ordinances. Cities such as Asheville have adopted ordinances that provide undocumented immigrants with some safeguards against arrest and deportation.
  • Require city and county governments to use the federal system E-Verify to check the immigration status of contractors before they hire them.
  • End extensions to the 90-day limit on food stamps for childless, unemployed residents who work or volunteer less than 20 hours a week. The bill would ban the state from accepting money from the federal government to pay for extensions. The extensions would end in March.

It now heads to the House for consideration.

Rev. Julie Peeples, pastor of Congregational United Church of Christ and co-chairwoman of the Greensboro Faith Leaders Council, claims the bill “is not fair.”

“I believe that Jesus is weeping.”