Veasey Introduces Legislation to Prohibit Discrimination Against U.S. citizen Children with Undocumented Parents

Washington D.C. – Today, Congressman Veasey introduced H.R. 5444, The14^th Amendment Protection Act, that would prohibit discrimination against U.S. citizen children with undocumented parents and bar local, state and federal governments from denying them access to documents and resources they’re eligible for, regardless of their parent’s immigration status.

Since 2013, Texas has enforced some of the toughest rules in the country limiting the types of identification parents can show to receive copies of birth certificates. As a result, undocumented immigrants are facing unnecessary obstacles to obtaining their Texas-born children’s birth certificates. Not having this critical document makes it harder to enroll their children in school and daycare, and obtain access to public benefits as needed because many of these benefits require a proof of parenthood or the child’s Texas birth.

According to the 2013 report “Second-Generation Americans: A Portrait of the Adult Children of Immigrants” from the Pew Research Center for Social and Demographic Trends, there are 20 million adults considered second generation Americans, defined as a child of at least one immigrant parent. The same study reported an additional 16 million U.S. born children of immigrants are under the age of 18.

“Birthright citizenship is an essential pillar of U.S. society – one that says to anyone born here that they are automatically part of the American family. Many children of undocumented immigrants are caught in the crossfire as local and state entities look for roundabout ways to enforce their own interpretations of immigration policies,” Congressman Veasey said. “While America waits for House Republicans to finally bring comprehensive immigration reform for a vote, I cannot stand on the sidelines as American children are deprived of their rights as U.S. citizens.”

According to the 2014 U.S. Census, Texas’ 33^rd Congressional District is home to over 230,000 foreign-born residents. Congressman Veasey is a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that protects America’s workers, reunites families, offers hardworking immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship, secures our borders, and boosts the U.S. economy.