Under federal immigration law (the 2005 REAL ID Act), those facts render them excludable from the United States.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

Second, the REAL ID Act would make it more difficult for terrorists to seek and obtain asylum in the United States.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Unfinished business

With the REAL ID Act of 2005, they instituted a de facto national identity system by mandating that records be centralized and state-issued IDs be brought up to a common standard.

FORBES: We Don't Need a National ID Card

The Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife have since appealed the case directly to the Supreme Court, because the REAL ID Act -- again, in the interest of expediting border fence construction -- eliminated the option of appealing district court decisions on the DHS waiver to any of the federal appellate courts, making direct appeal to the Supreme Court the only legal option left.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Green Borders

The coalition has also announced a number of policies it says will strengthen civil liberties such as scrapping ID cards, extension of the Freedom of Information Act, more protections for the DNA database, protecting trial by jury and regulating CCTV.

BBC: Select Committee

Mr. Holder's remarks are especially notable because they come as the Justice Department is reviewing voter ID laws in Texas and South Carolina for "preclearance" under the Voting Rights Act.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: Holder's Voter ID Fraud