To: Kimberly Lauriston, Graduate student, Ashlee Kraus, Graduate Student, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, Governor Greg Abbott, Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-1), Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), and Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27)
Help give children their Right to Identity!
Recently, over 30 undocumented families sued the State of Texas because they have been unable to obtain birth certificates for their American born children. In recent years, some Texas counties, for instance Hidalgo and Cameron counties, have stopped accepting the Mexican consulate issued “matricula” IDs as proof of identity, leaving parents unable to prove relationship to their own children.
While many would have Texans believe that this is an immigration issue, it must be reiterated that it is not. It is an issue of children, born here in Texas, left with no homeland and no ability to prove their own identity. Without birth certificates these children cannot enroll in school, have no access to medical care, and have no protection from child labor or exploitation.
On October 16, 2015, a federal judge ruled that Texas officials can continue to refuse foreign consular cards as a form of identification to obtain birth certificates for U.S.-born children, stripping them of any rights and protections guaranteed as citizens or nationals of any nation. Without a birth certificate, these children are essentially "nonexistent" in the eyes of government.
We must remember that the "anti-immigrant" climate in our nation is making children born to undocumented parents at risk of child maltreatment, including sexual and labor exploitation, abuse and neglect. Without the principle form of identification provided to all their fellow Americans, these children are unable to establish a legal identity.
Texas has always accepted consular ID until recent years. Many of the families in the suit have been able to obtain birth certificates for their other children. In fact, the Texas Department of State Health Services began auditing ID issuing offices and sanctioning those who accepted the consular ID starting in 2013.
Those opposing the issuance of birth certificates claim that hospitals provide the necessary documentation to guarantee a child's identity; unfortunately, birth certificates are required to obtain all secondary forms of identification (i.e. driver's license, passport, social security, etc.) necessary to guarantee protections and rights in any country.
IDTexas' purpose is to inform the general public of the children ignored in our nation. Join us as we pressure our legislature to recognize that these children DO EXIST and are entitled to their RIGHT TO IDENTITY, EDUCATION and HEALTH services. It is imperative that Texas Legislators begin work on a policy that would allow undocumented parents to receive birth certificates for their children who were born in the United States, because Texas cannot be a place that leaves children in an identity limbo.
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
1. We want to tell legislators that they need to listen to their constituents. We want some of them to author or sponsor a bill and introduce it during the upcoming session to ensure movement in time for 2016 and all of them to vote in support of the bill.
2. As a supporting US citizen, undocumented parent and/or American-born child of an undocumented parent, you can:
a. Join our Letter Writing Campaign to put pressure on legislators. Write to your legislator, share your story and/or concern and urge him/her to support and/or sponsor a bill that includes the consular matricula as an accepted form of identity for the issuance of birth certificates.
b. Follow us on Facebook at IDoExist: Right to Identity and on Instagram @IDTX to follow our campaign’s progress and other developments.
c. Share your story on social media using #IDoExist and #RighttoIdentity @IDTX
d. AND FINALLY, sign our petition to include these parent's consular matricula cards as an acceptable form of identification on the list required for issuance of birth certificates.
We must ban together EVEN NOW to stop the harmful effects of the climate of our nation. This is not an immigrant issue but an American one.
Kimberly M. Lauriston, Graduate Student
References:
Passel, Jeffrey, and D'Vera Cohn. "Number of Babies Born in U.S. to Unauthorized Immigrants Declines." Pew Research Center RSS. September 10, 2015. Accessed October 17, 2015. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/09/11/number-of-babies-born-in-u-s-to-unauthorized-immigrants-declines/
Krogstad, Jen, and Jeffrey Passel. “5 Facts About Illegal Immigrants in the U.S.” Pew Research Center RSS. July 24, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2015. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/
Wright, Brittany and Jason Ramirez. “Enrollment in Texas Public Schools 2013-2014” Division of Research and Analysis, Department of Assessment and Accountability. Texas Education Agency. November 2014.
Texas Department of State Health Services, Birth Registration Handbook Retrieved from: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/faq/birth.shtm#3
Texas denies American-born children of immigrants citizenship. The Texas Observer. Retrieved from: http://www.mintpressnews.com/texas-denies-amer...
While many would have Texans believe that this is an immigration issue, it must be reiterated that it is not. It is an issue of children, born here in Texas, left with no homeland and no ability to prove their own identity. Without birth certificates these children cannot enroll in school, have no access to medical care, and have no protection from child labor or exploitation.
On October 16, 2015, a federal judge ruled that Texas officials can continue to refuse foreign consular cards as a form of identification to obtain birth certificates for U.S.-born children, stripping them of any rights and protections guaranteed as citizens or nationals of any nation. Without a birth certificate, these children are essentially "nonexistent" in the eyes of government.
We must remember that the "anti-immigrant" climate in our nation is making children born to undocumented parents at risk of child maltreatment, including sexual and labor exploitation, abuse and neglect. Without the principle form of identification provided to all their fellow Americans, these children are unable to establish a legal identity.
Texas has always accepted consular ID until recent years. Many of the families in the suit have been able to obtain birth certificates for their other children. In fact, the Texas Department of State Health Services began auditing ID issuing offices and sanctioning those who accepted the consular ID starting in 2013.
Those opposing the issuance of birth certificates claim that hospitals provide the necessary documentation to guarantee a child's identity; unfortunately, birth certificates are required to obtain all secondary forms of identification (i.e. driver's license, passport, social security, etc.) necessary to guarantee protections and rights in any country.
IDTexas' purpose is to inform the general public of the children ignored in our nation. Join us as we pressure our legislature to recognize that these children DO EXIST and are entitled to their RIGHT TO IDENTITY, EDUCATION and HEALTH services. It is imperative that Texas Legislators begin work on a policy that would allow undocumented parents to receive birth certificates for their children who were born in the United States, because Texas cannot be a place that leaves children in an identity limbo.
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
1. We want to tell legislators that they need to listen to their constituents. We want some of them to author or sponsor a bill and introduce it during the upcoming session to ensure movement in time for 2016 and all of them to vote in support of the bill.
2. As a supporting US citizen, undocumented parent and/or American-born child of an undocumented parent, you can:
a. Join our Letter Writing Campaign to put pressure on legislators. Write to your legislator, share your story and/or concern and urge him/her to support and/or sponsor a bill that includes the consular matricula as an accepted form of identity for the issuance of birth certificates.
b. Follow us on Facebook at IDoExist: Right to Identity and on Instagram @IDTX to follow our campaign’s progress and other developments.
c. Share your story on social media using #IDoExist and #RighttoIdentity @IDTX
d. AND FINALLY, sign our petition to include these parent's consular matricula cards as an acceptable form of identification on the list required for issuance of birth certificates.
We must ban together EVEN NOW to stop the harmful effects of the climate of our nation. This is not an immigrant issue but an American one.
Kimberly M. Lauriston, Graduate Student
References:
Passel, Jeffrey, and D'Vera Cohn. "Number of Babies Born in U.S. to Unauthorized Immigrants Declines." Pew Research Center RSS. September 10, 2015. Accessed October 17, 2015. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/09/11/number-of-babies-born-in-u-s-to-unauthorized-immigrants-declines/
Krogstad, Jen, and Jeffrey Passel. “5 Facts About Illegal Immigrants in the U.S.” Pew Research Center RSS. July 24, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2015. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/
Wright, Brittany and Jason Ramirez. “Enrollment in Texas Public Schools 2013-2014” Division of Research and Analysis, Department of Assessment and Accountability. Texas Education Agency. November 2014.
Texas Department of State Health Services, Birth Registration Handbook Retrieved from: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/faq/birth.shtm#3
Texas denies American-born children of immigrants citizenship. The Texas Observer. Retrieved from: http://www.mintpressnews.com/texas-denies-amer...
Why is this important?
Children born to undocumented parents are being put at risk of the very horrors we as a nation fight to prevent globally; likewise, we cannot have our own children exploited and stand to say we support children. The anti-immigrant climate of our nation is stripping us of our humanity and the government's duty to protect its citizens and especially those who are the most vulnerable. We cannot ignore the futures of these children, for they have rights to protection and due process guaranteed to all Americans.