Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 11 of his counterparts in urging the State Department to halt changes that would require ID documents such as passports and visas to match an applicant’s sex at birth rather than the applicant’s gender identity.

The proposed change is in response to an executive order by President Donald Trump signed on Jan. 20 that says that the U.S. only recognizes two sexes, male and female.

The letter from Raoul says that the proposed changes would cause significant harm to transgender and non-binary people, including psychological harm.

The letter states; "Forcing a transgender or nonbinary person to have identity documents that do not align with their gender identity impedes their ability to live and travel."

The letter also adds that the move would also cause "considerable confusion" between federal and state identification documents, as 16 states, including Illinois allow for someone to update their birth certificate and state identification to match their gender identity.

In a statement , Raoul says that the proposed changes are "the latest of the Trump administration’s efforts to diminish the existence of transgender and nonbinary Americans."

"Transgender and nonbinary individuals have the right to choose how their identity is reflected on their passports so they are not subjected to unnecessary confusion or delays while traveling," he said, adding "I am proud to stand with other attorneys general to advocate for and protect the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals who deserve to live authentically throughout this country.”

Joining Attorney General Raoul in submitting the comment letter are attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.