NEWS / New Mexico sees uptick in birth certificate applications

The US State of New Mexico is seeing an uptick in the number of birth certificate application as a result of the implementation of the Real ID Act as well as stricter enforcement of immigration law this year.

New Mexico State Registrar Renée Valencia noted that her office is having to issue numerous certified copies of birth certificate with individuals wanting to have proof of their US citizenship on hand.

“We get that quite a bit because they are terrified of being deported,” Valencia was quoted by Santa Fe New Mexican as stating. “Being so close to the border, we have lots of Hispanic people,”

According to the periodical, local Native American Indian tribal leaders also issued warnings about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials mistaking Native American Indians for undocumented Hispanic immigrants.