Fueling the illegal immigration debate, critics have called for a boycott of Bank of America's distribution of credit cards to consumers who do not hold a social security number, which would include illegal immigrants, reported the Associated Press.
The US-based finance giant recently launched a pilot scheme that enables customers who lack a credit history and a social security number, but have held a checking account with the bank for a minimum of three months without an overdraft, the opportunity to be issued with a credit card.
However, the introduction of this credit card has caused an array of criticism, with many claiming that the new card product was designed specifically for the illegal immigrant community, and, as a result, a boycott has been called for on the grounds that the bank could be supporting terrorists or drug traffickers, the Associated Press stated.
The boycotts have been announced by two groups, one based in Riverside County and the other in North Carolina, where the bank is headquartered, reported the Press Enterprise.
In other responses to the bank’s move, some angry customers are said to have closed their accounts and sent back their cards, which had been cut up into tiny pieces.
However, Bank of America is not the first to offer such a product. Citigroup has been active in this market for several years.