Thread: Idaho's Mexican consulate can wait for now

Idaho's Mexican consulate can wait for now

The following turn-about by Rep. Bill Sali appeared in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

This is in response to the Daily News editorial board’s column that ran on 5 May 2008.

The planned opening of a Mexican consulate office in Boise is causing serious concerns for many Idahoans. Other Mexican consulates provide services that help illegal immigrants evade U.S. law and gain access to services at taxpayer expense. Idahoans expect a consulate in our state will do the same. I think they are right.

For example, consider the consular "Health Windows" program. This is a healthcare program for Mexican nationals in the United States, including those here illegally.

The Los Angeles Times reported on "Health Windows" on May 31, 2007. In the story, reporters Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Anna Gorman wrote that Health Windows "makes referrals to U.S. hospitals, health centers and government programs where illegals get health care without any fear of being turned over to immigration authorities."

The story goes on to quote Rosalba Hernandez, who told the Times, "Being undocumented, we thought we didn't have the right to certain things. We were scared to ask for information." Now, according to the story, Hernandez or her boyfriend, also here illegally, can get U.S.-taxpayer supported healthcare without fear of deportation.

On May 23, 2007, The New York Times reported on the new Mexican Consulate office in Little Rock, Ark. That story contains an interview with Roberto González, an illegal alien who went to the consulate office in order to get a special ID card known as a "matrÃ*cula consular." Mr. González told the newspaper the card will help him continue to stay in the United States illegally. "I will be able to open bank accounts, pay water and light bills, have an easier life here with the consulate and the documents they give," he told the paper.

While Mexican consulates can be important to advance trade and other legitimate interests, consulates clearly do more than that - and most notably provide services that make it easier for illegal aliens to evade U.S. law.

Additionally, Mexico's consulates have lobbied local and state governments for special rights and privileges for illegal immigrants and have helped illegal immigrants avoid deportation.

In two recent letters, I asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to investigate these and other issues which seem to recur at existing Mexican consulates. I also have asked her to delay opening of a consular office in Boise.

I told Secretary Rice that Idahoans welcome the presence of legal Mexican immigrants in Idaho and also welcome facilities that would enable them to obtain necessary services from their home government.

But I believe there should not be a hurry to open a consulate in Idaho when our problems with illegal immigration are at a crisis level.

The consulate can wait until our problem with illegal immigration is brought under control. If it is opened now, it will likely only make things worse. The fact is Mexican consulates offer health care programs to illegal aliens as well as identification cards to people who, if they were here legally, would already have valid, verifiable identification. Even the FBI has concluded that consulate-issued ID cards are among the most abused documents in circulation in America.

The bottom line is this: There is plenty of evidence to support my contention that a consular office in Boise will be exploited to provide support to illegal aliens. This support will allow illegal aliens to remain in Idaho undetected. That is why I presently oppose the opening of a Mexican consulate in Idaho.

http://right-mind.us/blogs/blog_0/archi ... 60050.aspx

The fact is Mexican consulates offer health care programs to illegal aliens as well as identification cards to people who, if they were here legally, would already have valid, verifiable identification. Even the FBI has concluded that consulate-issued ID cards are among the most abused documents in circulation in America.

The Mexican Consulate offers and WE are forced to pay! Mexico should be paying for their own citizens who are here illegally!

Mexico should have no more than 3 consulates in the US, one on each coast and one in the midwest, KICK THE REST OUT NOW!

With a Mexican birth certificate a person can get a passport at Mexican consulates.

With a passport can't an illegal alien board and fly on our airlines?

and most notably provide services that make it easier for illegal aliens to evade U.S. law.

PERIOD!!!!!!!!!

They are opening like maggots...all over this country...they need to close shop and go the heck home to their country and begin to repair that broken fly trap!

A small group of Patriots standing on public property taking pictures of invaders entering/exiting the MC could be a solution.