Harry Blackmun

“ The Court's opinion, as I read it, seems to accept most of all this, that is, that there is no § 1546 distinction between 'entry' and 're-entry,' and that an alien registration card is a document 'required' for entry into the United States. ”

“ The Court's comparison of the registration card to a driver's license in this context is wide of the mark. A driver's license has nothing to do with immigration. A registration card has everything to do with immigration. It is authorized under the immigration statutes. It is required of a resident alien. 8 U.S.C. §§ 1301-1306. And for almost two decades it has been a re-entry document.
The fact that there may be some overlapping between § 1546 and 8 U.S.C. § 1306 (d) does not prevent the application of § 1546 to the alien registration card. ”

“ It reached counterfeiting alone. Section 1546, on the other hand, is concerned with entry into the country and with the integrity of documents used in effecting entry. It is not restricted to counterfeiting. It also reaches knowing possession and alternation.
The Court's exclusion of the alien registration card from the reach of § 1546 leaves entirely free from punishment the alteration of a card and the possession of a card with knowledge of its altered or counterfeit character. ”