Stripping U.S. citizenship from people born along the border will undermine the future of civic participation in Texas
As reported yesterday in the Washington Post, the Trump Administration has been steadily denying passports to people who were born along the Texas-Mexico border but who have U.S. birth certificates and have been U.S. citizens their entire lives.
Mario Carrillo, America’s Voice Texas State Director issued the following statement:
The Trump administration has made its disdain towards immigrants no secret with its continued attacks, workplace raids and its heartless policy to separate families at the border. But its latest tactic is particularly ominous: targeting U.S. citizens.
No doubt, this is yet another policy designed to sow fear into Latino and immigrant communities, especially along the Texas border. It’s despicable.
This also begs the question, why have Senators Cornyn and Cruz, among others, allowed this to happen to their constituents? We know they are anti-immigrant, but now they’re allowing Trump’s dangerous policies to impact our fellow citizens.
And a likely intended side effect will be the impact this will have on civic participation if U.S. citizenship is up for debate. That would be consistent with all the other policies designed by Texas officials to block voter participation.
Here’s the thing: Texas politicians know Texas is changing. Latinos will make up the majority of Texas within five years. Instead of embracing this change, they do everything possible to thwart it. That has to stop and it will when we elect leaders who stand with our community, not against it.
