LatinoJustice PRLDLEF wrote a letter to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño, urging him to delay the new law that will require all persons born on the island to get new birth certificates.
A planned July 1st implementation of the law has precipitated much confusion among island residents and the more than 1.5 million Puerto Rican-born residents of the United States.
Under the law, every single birth certificate issued in Puerto Rico will become invalid starting July 1. After that date, those wanting proof that they were born on the island must apply to the commonwealth government for a new birth certificate.
Many stateside Puerto Ricans have expressed confusion and lack of information about the new law and its impact. The U.S. State Department has not yet decided how to deal with people who present invalid birth certificates for passports, according to a spokesperson.
Thus far, there seems to be little effort by the U.S. or Puerto Rico governments to educate people about the changes.
Government officials responded to LatinoJustice PRLDEF’s letter by saying they had plans for a public information campaign.
“The only way to address the confusion and angst this is creating is to allow all birth certificates to remain valid through the end of the year,” said Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “A media blitz at this late date will have little impact on allaying people’s confusion and fear over what will happen when their birth certificates become valid. We already have states denying birth certificates from Puerto Rico so whatever communication has come out so far hasn’t been very effective.”
People born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens at birth. Though the law does not go into effect until July 1, California, Ohio and Nevada have already stated they would not accept any birth certificates from Puerto Rico as proof of birth for driver’s licenses. This could effectively leave thousands of Puerto Ricans born on the island with no way of getting driver’s licenses in those states.
Creating confusion over birth certificates also fuels the real anti-Latino sentiment that has led to the escalating mandate to document the identity of Latinos for obtaining jobs, driver’s licenses, and government benefits.
Go to HAV columnist L. Patricia Ice's column--ICE ON IMMIGRATION--
for more information on these invalidations
