The Mexican government is warning that Texas’ denial of birth
certificates for U.S. children born here to undocumented immigrants
stands to imperil the relationship between Mexico and the Lone Star
State.
The concern was raised in an amicus brief filed Monday evening to
lend support to immigrants parents who sued Texas after being denied
birth certificates for their U.S.-born children, even after showing
their “matrículas,” the ID cards issued by the Mexican consulate to
undocumented immigrants.
Mexico says the practice stands in stark contrast to the historical
practice among countries to accept passports or other forms of ID to
issue birth certificates.
[It] not only jeopardizes their dignity and well-being, but could
threaten the unique relationship between Mexico and Texas, the Mexican
government said in a brief tied to a lawsuit filed against the state by
Texas Civil Rights Project and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid.
The lawsuit, the Texas Tribune reported,
was filed on behalf of six U.S. citizen children and their undocumented
parents, who came from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. Other groups
since have joined the suit.
A main point of contention is the all-out refusal at some county
registrars offices to accept as a valid form of ID anything short of a
U.S. visa or consulate ID card, the Tribune said.
The families who are suing say that Texas is violating the 14th
amendment and that the state is superseding federal immigration laws.
Texas officials are claiming sovereignty issues and argue that the United States cannot fight them.
They long have said that consulate-issued identification cards are not considered reliable forms of ID.
The Mexican government is requesting that Texas be clear about what
two forms of ID it will accept in order to give the children U.S. birth
certificate.
“Our argument isn’t ‘yes matrícula, no matrícula,’” said attorney
Jennifer Harbury, who represents the families, to the Tribune. “The
argument is ‘what will you take that people can actually get?’ They have
to take something. [The children] were born here. They are U.S.
citizens.”
The amicus brief also claims that denying the children U.S. birth
certificates blocks their claims to Mexican citizenship. A child born to
Mexican parents has that right but must show proof of identity.
Infringing on that is a violation of international law, the brief
states.
Mexican Consulate officials argue that the matricula is, in many
ways, more secure because it includes biometric technology, unlike the
driver’s licenses in some states.
They say a parent’s undocumented status should not affect a child’s ability to obtain a birth certificate.
“We think that they are not immigration authorities,” he said. “The passport is the official way to identify oneself. 4951