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Documentation Dilemma
Birth certificates of Puerto Ricans lose validity July 1
By ASHLEY LUTHERN
Beginning July 1, the birth certificates of about 5,000 area residents will be invalid, including that of Youngstown City Law Director Iris Guglucello.
Guglucello has lived in Youngstown for more than 45 years, but was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican General Assembly approved a law in early January that will invalidate all birth certificates issued before June 30, 2010 — effective July 1 — as a measure to protect Puerto Ricans from identity fraud. The government will issue new certificates beginning July 1; these confer U.S. citizenship.
“I’ll be honest, I was greatly unsettled and taken aback,” Guglucello said. “... This will affect someone who has done nothing illegal and they will have to take affirmative action to provide proof of citizenship.”
However, officials from the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration said that the law does not invalidate already existing U.S. identification, such as a driver’s license, Social Security number or passport.
The U.S. Department of State told the Puerto Rican government that of 8,000 cases of fraud in passports, more than half originated with a Puerto Rican birth certificate, said Luis Balzac, regional director for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.
“This is evidence that our constituents, those Puerto Ricans born on the island, were being victimized and their documents used to commit fraudulent actions,” Balzac said.
Previously, Puerto Ricans would have multiple certified copies of their birth certificates, which functioned as originals, and would drop them off at schools or sports teams, for example, when an individual was registered. This led to a large number of unsecured birth certificates that ended up on the black market, Balzac said.
However, the intent of the law still does not satisfy local Puerto Ricans who have to get new birth certificates.
“I already have a birth certificate,” said Jose Rivera of Campbell. “I don’t like it, and now people have gone online [to get new certificates] and are getting rerouted to sites that cost $100. I don’t like this.”
It costs $5 for a new Puerto Rican birth certificate and individuals should not pay more than that, said Mary Isa Garayua, executive director of the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana.
She added that people should also wait until July 1 to send in their application for a new certificate.
Birth certificates are one of the main forms of identification to get an Ohio driver’s license. Currently the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles accepts certified copies of Puerto Rico birth certificates issued on or after Jan. 1, 2010.
The bureau also is watching a bill in the Puerto Rican general assembly that could extend the birth certificate deadline to Sept. 30. If that bill passes by July, the bureau will change its policy and accept certified copies of Puerto Rico birth certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010, said Lindsey Bohrer, spokesperson for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Some applicants might not have either a certified Puerto Rico birth certificate issued on or after Jan. 1, 2010, or another acceptable document, and the registrar of motor vehicles will approve, on a case-by- case basis, the use of other genuine and reliable documents from these applicants, Bohrer said.
Local Puerto Ricans can stop by OCCHA to pick up the one-page application form for a new birth certificate, and should also bring a photo ID, self-addressed stamped envelope and $5 in check or money order that can be sent to Puerto Rico.
The Spanish Evangelical Church, 2530 South Ave., is having workshops to help people complete the application process from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and June 30.
Individuals are asked to bring a photo ID, two business-sized envelopes, two stamps, a pen, their old birth certificate and $5, said Lynette Arroyo, the church’s general secretary.
Those who have a computer with Internet access also can complete the process online at www.pr.gov or www.prfaa.com/birth certificates/.
As the July 1 deadline approaches, Balzac said Puerto Ricans should be patient.
“There’s no need to rush out and get a new one,” Balzac said. “... I always ask ‘When was the last time you used your birth certificate?’ and most people don’t even remember. If I haven’t used mine in 15 years, that means I’ll be OK waiting. I have my license, Social Security number and passport, should I need to prove who I am.”