A judge ruled that Texas officials can deny birth certificates for the U.S.-born children of some immigrants.

According to a federal court decision, new parents who are aspiring U.S. citizens can be denied their child’s birth certificate if they are unable to provide “valid forms of ID”
— an arbitrary designation that is itself entrenched in xenophobic and racist policies. Immigrant families were seeking an injunction against Texas’ Vital Statistics Office after employees refused to accept foreign-issued documentation, including passports, as valid identification and denied their children birth certificates. While U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman did acknowledge the danger of denying American-born children their own birth certificates, he ultimately supported the officials’ actions, writing in his decision, “A birth certificate is a vital and important document. As such, Texas has a clear interest in protecting access to that document.” (NPR)