Getting a Birth Certificate For a US Citizen Should Be Easy. If You’re an Immigrant Mother, It’s Not.

Getting a Birth Certificate For a US Citizen Should Be Easy. If You’re an Immigrant Mother, It’s Not.

Getting a Birth Certificate For a US Citizen Should Be Easy. If You’re an Immigrant Mother, It’s Not.

Who knew verifying citizenship could be so difficult?

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Sandra’s baby was born in the United States, and is therefore a a US citizen. But Sandra is an undocumented immigrant, which has so far made it almost impossible to get a birth certificate—she’s traveled to the city hall in Edinburg, Texas, four times, and been turned away each time. But in this clip from the documentary series America Divided, Sandra comes back to City Hall one last time, this time with America Ferrera and a camera crew—and is told exactly how she can get the certificate.

America Divided features Ferrera, Jesse Williams, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Shonda Rhimes, Rosario Dawson, Norman Lear, Peter Sarsgaard, and Common examining our country’s crisis of inequality each Friday at 9 pm EST. Check back for exclusive excerpts each Friday morning on The Nation’s Web site.

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Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

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