To enroll a kid in public school, you need a bunch of paperwork: immunization records, proof of residency, and a birth certificate to show their age. It’s that last requirement that is at the center of a lawsuit against the state of Texas — and it has to do with the U.S.-born children of immigrant parents. “Birthright citizenship” has become a huge topic in the 2016 Republican presidential race. It’s all about the 14th Amendment, which provides citizenship for people born on U.S. soil.
But apparently, the state of Texas has been reluctant to provide birth certificates to those children, which attorneys say makes it harder for them to enroll in school.
One of those lawyers joins the Standard to discuss. Efren Olivares is a senior attorney at the South Texas Civil Rights Project.
