Texas officials flag over 1,000 birth records for potential fraud
AUSTIN — A Brownsville woman who had a Texas driver license for over a decade was denied a new one in 2017 — and again last month — when the state suddenly raised suspicions that her birth certificate is fraudulent and questioned whether she is really a U.S. citizen.
Lorena Flores, born in 1984, is now suing, saying she was given no way to contest the ruling and wasn’t shown the evidence against her.
Though her situation echoes those depicted in lawsuits filed by Hispanics born along the U.S.-Mexico border who have been denied U.S. passports in the past, Flores’ attorney Peter McGraw said her lawsuit is the first he knows of related to driver licenses.
Flores’ birth certificate was investigated by the state’s health department in 2017, a year when the agency flagged 722 birth certificates for potential fraud, said spokeswoman Susan Biles. She said the agency flagged 325 birth certificates in 2018.
She declined to comment on Flores’ case but said several things can prompt investigation.
“These include conflicting information received regarding the place of birth of a Texas registrant or referrals from law enforcement identifying potential fraud,” Biles said in a written statement.
It’s not clear how many of those flags have led to denied licenses: the Texas Department of Public Safety didn’t respond to a request for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/texas-officials-flag-over-1000-birth-records-for-potential-fraud/ar-AAHP1mM?li=BBnbfcL