BOSTON — On a recent Saturday, the Brazilian consulate was filled with parents and their children — babies to toddlers, to 10-year-olds — picking up their Brazilian birth registration documents. Since the Trump administration came into office, the consulate has seen a fivefold increase in parents requesting the document, which will grant dual citizenship to children of Brazilian parents born in the U.S. There is currently a backlog of 2,500 of these requests.
Parents want the certificates to make sure that they are not separated from their children if the parent is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — commonly known as ICE. Babies born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens, and can’t be deported by the government.
A mother on the Island who asked not to be identified because of her immigration status has been trying to register for a birth certificate for her 2-month-old baby. “I get tense, and very afraid. My greatest fear is that I’d be deported and she would stay behind, because she depends on me,” she said.
The number of requests for other documents related to a possible return to Brazil has also increased, as have deportations and detentions, according to consulate data. The backlog for passports is 700. The consulate in Boston serves Brazilians living in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
The MV Times spoke to Consul General Santiago Irazabal Mourão, who leads the Brazilian consulate in Boston, about current trends in the Brazilian community and what type of support the Brazilian government is offering. “Consulate employees are working late every day, and sometimes on weekends,” he said, adding that their team has 37 people helping with documentation. “Even I and other diplomats are helping.”
The interview was translated from Portuguese, and edited for length and clarity.
MV Times: How has your work changed since the beginning of the new administration and the start of new immigration policies?
Santiago Mourão: Our work has intensified. People are afraid, and the number of voluntary returns has increased. Of course, when you look at the size of the Brazilian community in our region [the consulate estimates it is more than 400,000], the number of people leaving is still small. What matters is the trend, and the trend is that the number of people requesting the documents they need to return to Brazil has increased.
We’ve seen a threefold increase in requests for certificates of residence, which confirm that someone has been living here for a certain time, allowing them to return to Brazil with their belongings without paying taxes. The range for passports used to be 900 to 1,200 passports issued per month, and now it has increased to 1,500 to 1,800 per month.
And our consulate used to issue 10 to 15 birth certificates per day; now we issue 70 to 80 per day. All children born in the U.S. are American citizens. The U.S. can’t deport its own citizens, so if the parents are deported, the child would not travel with them, they would stay in American territory. If the children are Brazilian, they can travel to Brazil with no difficulty.
MVT: Do you have families who live on Martha’s Vineyard among those requesting documents?
SM: Sure we do, but we can’t tell the exact numbers. It won’t be a significant number, because Brazilians living there make up only about 1 to 2 percent of the Brazilian population [in the region]. In other words, we’d say that just 1 to 2 percent of passport requests come from Martha’s Vineyard.
MVT: How many Brazilians have been detained by ICE in Massachusetts since the beginning of the Trump administration in the region covered by the consulate?
SM: The numbers are still very marginal compared to the size of the Brazilian population, so again, what matters is the trend. The number of detainees has been steadily rising since the beginning of the Trump administration. It’s a fourfold increase compared to the monthly average from last year. Right now, there are about 240 people detained.
MVT: Did deportations also increase?
SM: Yes, it used to be around 15 or 20 per month, but since the new administration took office, it’s jumped to 35 or 40.
MVT: When someone is detained by immigration, do they receive the consulate’s phone number to call for assistance?
SM: Usually, the person detained has the right to make one phone call. Most of the time, they call their spouse, who then contacts us.
Technically, it’s the responsibility of the local authorities to notify us when one of our nationals is detained. They inform their central office, and that takes a bit of time to reach us — sometimes there’s a delay. Overall, communication flows pretty well.
MVT: What type of support does the consulate offer for Brazilians, including detainees and their families?
SM: We don’t have the means to provide financial assistance, but we can direct them to organizations that offer support and provide guidance.
We have a lawyer available to offer the community initial guidance, as well as an initial psychological support service.
We also have a dedicated support program for Brazilian women in vulnerable or at-risk situations. We don’t offer therapy or take legal action on their behalf, but we can point them in the right direction, and provide that first layer of assistance.
All Brazilian consulates have the right, under international agreements, to visit their nationals in prisons. This support service for Brazilians includes visits to prisons, hospitals, and other places where Brazilians are in need. The visits are made by a consulate official, and they also have our contact number, and often call us to let us know what they need.
MVT: What message would you give to Brazilians who live on the Island and are feeling scared right now?
SM: The first and most important message to all Brazilians is that immigration laws are determined by the country we live in. We don’t have a say in the decisions the local or federal government makes on immigration policy.
That’s why it’s so important for every family to have a family immigration plan — a strategy that meets your own needs, and isn’t necessarily going to look like anyone else’s. Make sure all your documents are in order: Check your passport, renew it if needed, and remember that for Brazilians, a passport isn’t just a travel document — it’s your primary form of ID, and it’s what local U.S. authorities recognize.
And pay attention to your kids: Register them with the consulate. It’s a simple, easy, and free process. Remember that children will need a passport to travel, and they can only do so with both parents’ permission — even if they’re traveling with just one parent, the other must give their consent.
Take care of your investments and your business affairs, and if you need someone to represent you, look into that, too. Consult a lawyer you trust to help you put together a solid family immigration plan.
And don’t buy into fake news. The situation is serious, but it’s not a time for panic. When you act out of fear or terror, you don’t make good decisions. So stay calm — this is the reality, and it’s not going to just blow over if you hide for two or three years. The U.S. government has decided to reorganize its immigration policy, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
There’s no need to live in terror — nobody’s going to knock on your door in the middle of the night. That’s not happening right now. But if you commit a crime or a minor offense, then yes, you can absolutely expect enforcement action.
MVT: Will the consulate offer any services on the Island?
SM: We’re planning to organize what we call consular missions, aimed at getting closer to the Brazilians living on the Island. During these missions, we’ll collect requests for information and documentation, then process everything back at the consulate and send the documents by mail. Once it’s ready, we’ll announce it to the local community.
For more information, go to bit.ly/BCG_ConsuladoAssistencia, or Instagram @cg.boston.