Children of Immigrants Denied Citizenship

[GMDino]

In Texas. Can you believe it?



http://www.texasobserver.org/children-of-immigrants-denied-citizenship/

Quote:For nearly 150 years, the United States, under the 14th Amendment, has recognized people born here as citizens, regardless of whether their parents were citizens.

But Texas has other plans. In the last year, the state has refused to issue birth certificates to children who were born in Texas to undocumented parents. In May, four women filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Texas Department of State Health Services alleging constitutional discrimination and interference in the federal government’s authority over immigration.

Jennifer Harbury, a lawyer with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, who is representing the women, said the deluge of birth certificate refusals began last winter. “I’ve never seen such a large number of women with this problem,” she says. “In the past someone might be turned away, but it was always resolved. This is something altogether new.”

According to the lawsuit, the women who requested birth certificates for their children in Cameron and Hidalgo counties were turned away because of insufficient proof of their identities. State law allows the use of a foreign ID if the mother lacks a Texas driver’s license or a U.S. passport.

But local officials, which issue birth certificates registered by the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit, told the women they would no longer accept either the matricula consular, which is a photo ID issued by the Mexican Consulate to Mexican nationals living in the U.S., or a foreign passport without a current U.S. visa. Undocumented Central American women are also being turned away because they only have a passport without a U.S. visa. “They are locking out a huge chunk of the undocumented immigrant community,” says Harbury.

“Even in the darkest hours of Texas’ history of discrimination, officials never denied birth certificates to Hispanic children of immigrants.”
Harbury believes the rash of refusals is linked to the influx of Central American families who crossed the border last summer seeking asylum. “They are targeting the undocumented population, but immigration is a federal function and not the job of the Department of State Health Services,” says Harbury. Women are unable to enroll their children in school or daycare without a birth certificate, or to authorize their child to be treated in a medical emergency. “It causes all kinds of problems,” Harbury says. “How is a woman going to prove she’s the child’s parent without a birth certificate?”

Since filing the lawsuit in late May, Harbury says they’ve received dozens of calls from women who have been refused birth certificates for their children: “The phones have been ringing off the hook.” Recently, they filed an amended lawsuit with several more plaintiffs.

James Harrington, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, is also representing the undocumented families. The legal team is seeking a court order to reinstate the use of the matricula consular and foreign passports as valid proof of identity for undocumented mothers.

“Even in the darkest hours of Texas’ history of discrimination, officials never denied birth certificates to Hispanic children of immigrants,” said Harrington in a written statement. “Everyone born in the United States is entitled to the full rights of citizenship.”

Update: In a written statement Chris Van Deusen, press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services says: “DSHS accepts a variety of documents to verify a requestor’s identification … Texas does not accept the matricula consular as valid identification because the documents used to obtain the matricula are not verified by the issuing party. Several other states and some federal agencies also do not accept the matricula as a valid form of identification for the same reason.”

Correction: The story originally stated that vital statistics offices in Cameron and Hidalgo counties are run by employees of the Texas Department of State Health Services. The offices are run by city and county officials. The Observer regrets the error.

[StLucieBengal]

Good. Anchor babies shouldn't be allowed.

Too many births coming here. Especially from China.

[GMDino]

(07-16-2015, 11:40 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Good.  Anchor babies shouldn't be allowed.  

Too many births coming here.   Especially from China.

Donald?



Anyway:

Quote:For nearly 150 years, the United States, under the 14th Amendment, has recognized people born here as citizens, regardless of whether their parents were citizens.

[StLucieBengal]

(07-16-2015, 11:43 PM)GMDino Wrote: Donald?



Anyway:

Its called birth tourism. And it's quite an issue... And one that shouldn't be laughed off

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/03/05/the-shadowy-world-of-birth-tourism-at-californias-luxury-maternity-hotels/

[*bfine32*]

(07-16-2015, 11:43 PM)GMDino Wrote: Donald?



Anyway:

I agree. We should go back to the way things used to be.

[Belsnickel]

(07-17-2015, 12:15 AM)bfine32 Wrote: I agree. We should go back to the way things used to be.

To the antebellum era, eh?

[*michaelsean*]

i always thought it was assumed that if you were born here you were a citizen. I didn't know that wasn't a thing until the 14th amendment. However, that shouldn't change the status of the parents.

[Belsnickel]

(07-17-2015, 10:13 AM)michaelsean Wrote: i always thought it was assumed that if you were born here you were a citizen.  I didn't know that wasn't a thing until the 14th amendment.  However, that shouldn't change the status of the parents.

Yeah, that was something they didn't want happening at first, and not just for the black population. The children of immigrant workers from all over (Chinese, Irish, etc.) were also kept out of the citizenry until then, which actually hurt their integration into society.

[*bfine32*]

(07-17-2015, 08:53 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: To the antebellum era, eh?

Hey, if it was good enough for 150 years....

[GMDino]

(07-17-2015, 10:23 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Hey, if it was good enough for 150 years....

Amen.

[BmorePat87]

Quote: A large majority of them can neither read or write, do not understand our language, and have natural tendencies to live crowded among their own race and to continue their customs brought with them. The time has come when the American people must call a halt to the Italians

Baltimore Sun 1906

[Belsnickel]

(07-17-2015, 10:23 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Hey, if it was good enough for 150 years....

It was good enough for 79 years. It's been 147 years since the amendment was a part of the Constitution.

[*michaelsean*]

(07-17-2015, 10:50 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: A large majority of them can neither read or write, do not understand our language, and have natural tendencies to live crowded among their own race and to continue their customs brought with them. The time has come when the American people must call a halt to the Italians

Baltimore Sun 1906

Wait is this for or against what he said?

[BmorePat87]

(07-17-2015, 10:58 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Wait is this for or against what he said?

The Italians refused to drop their customs or learn our language and have since destroyed America. The Latinos are going to do the same...

[*Nately120*]

A large majority of them can neither read or write, do not understand our language, and have natural tendencies to live crowded among their own race and to continue their customs brought with them. The time has come when the American people must call a halt to the Italians

I'm sitting here wearing an Italia jersey, so let's not forget to point out that even the 3rd generation of these anchovy-lovin' vagrants STILL refuse to assimilate! Mwa ha! People like me ruined this fine, lilly white country!

[*michaelsean*]

(07-17-2015, 11:06 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The Italians refused to drop their customs or learn our language and have since destroyed America. The Latinos are going to do the same...

If we had listened to the Baltimore Sun 100 years ago, we'd be in much better shape.

[BmorePat87]

(07-17-2015, 11:11 AM)Nately120 Wrote: A large majority of them can neither read or write, do not understand our language, and have natural tendencies to live crowded among their own race and to continue their customs brought with them. The time has come when the American people must call a halt to the Italians

I'm sitting here wearing an Italia jersey, so let's not forget to point out that even the 3rd generation of these anchovy-lovin' vagrants STILL refuse to assimilate!  Mwa ha!  People like me ruined this fine, lilly white country!

5th generation here. My parents refused to assimilate to the protestants and raised me as a defiant Roman Catholic.

[*Nately120*]

(07-17-2015, 11:13 AM)michaelsean Wrote: If we had listened to the Baltimore Sun 100 years ago, we'd be in much better shape.

I can only guess by your screen name that you are Irish.  Oy, don't get me started on what's going to happen to the USA if we keep letting THOSE guys in here!

[*michaelsean*]

(07-17-2015, 11:16 AM)Nately120 Wrote: I can only guess by your screen name that you are Irish.  Oy, don't get me started on what's going to happen to the USA if we keep letting THOSE guys in here!

All Irish name, (paternal grandfather) but mostly German.

"God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from taking over the world.

[*Nately120*]

(07-17-2015, 11:20 AM)michaelsean Wrote: All Irish name, (paternal grandfather) but mostly German.

"God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from taking over the world.

Oh don't even get me started on those Germans!