To: Dan Patrick, Lt. Governor and Governor Greg Abbott
The State of Texas Should Not Get To Determine US Citizenship
The State of Texas is in clear violation of the United States Constitution by denying birth certificates to children born within its borders. This is a right provided to them under the 14th Amendment. The Texas Department of State Health Services needs to stop discriminating against children born to immigrant mothers, and grant them Texas birth certificates, which provides them with United States citizenship as well as the equal rights and protections afforded to all citizens of this country.
Why is this important?
For almost a year now, the Texas Department of State Health Services has been denying birth certificates to immigrant mothers whose children were born within the state borders.
The state agency is claiming that they are unable to provide the immigrant women with birth certificates for their children because they are unable to provide valid forms of identification -- despite the women providing foreign passports and other forms of ID.
Without valid birth certificates, these children are unable to be enrolled in day care, be provided medical treatment in case of an emergency, or have any claim to their United States citizenship. Meanwhile, the parents are unable to prove that they are the legal guardians of the child.
In short, no birth certificate means that these children, who are natural born United States Citizens, are unable to obtain the rights and protection that are afforded to every person born in this country.
What the state of Texas is doing is discriminatory against immigrant parents, and is in clear violation of the United States Constitution. The Texas Department of State Health Services needs to stop turning a blind eye on these children and their families and begin granting them birth certificates now!