Thread: Guatemalan Consulate Visits Northwest Arkansas

Guatemalan Consulate Visits Northwest Arkansas
This article was published on Saturday, February 23, 2008 6:46 PM CST in News
By Pablo Bello
The Morning News

ROGERS - The Guatemalan consulate came to Northwest Arkansas on Saturday to provide passports and identification to Guatemalans who live in the area.

Guatemalan Consul Jose Barillas said he came to provide passports, matriculas consulares (identification), visas, permits to travel and to authorize other documents.

"We have attended to more than 200 people, but we expect around 600 Guatemalans," said Barillas, who has his office in Houston.

The jurisdiction of the consulate is Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi.

Mynor Sanamayoa, 33, one of the hundreds of Guatemalans who braved the low temperatures on Saturday, said he came to get a passport and identification. He called the consulate in Houston to get an appointment and they told him the consulate was coming to Arkansas.

"It is important to have an identification," Sanamayoa said.

Barrillas declined to comment about the effect of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287 (g) program in the Guatemalan community in Northwest Arkansas, which has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation.

Barillas said that six Guatemalans came to ask for legal council on Saturday, but he did not specify the reasons.

Jose Cabnal, 38, of Clinton, said he came to Rogers for identification to be able to work.

"I would like to avoid problems with the police when I am driving. I hope the new president will help us with an immigration reform to be able to work without problems," said Cabnal.

He said last year he wasn't able to go to Little Rock to get the identification when the consulate came, but this time a friend told him about the consulate coming to Northwest Arkansas.

Members of the Arkansas Friendship Coalition on October in Springdale announced formation of a coalition to help protect immigrants from punitive state legislation.

Officials of the new association of church, civic and business leaders described the organization as a statewide advocacy group "that will oppose punitive state and municipal laws targeting immigrants in Arkansas."

The Salvadorian consulate in Texas is another institution that visits Northwest Arkansas annually, and the Mexican consulate has offices in Little Rock.
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/ ... alanco.txt

"It is important to have an identification," Sanamayoa said.

Normally we just steal them, but we have been caught lately, so the government of Guatemala is going to give them a card to identify them.
Now this card may not have their real names on them, but what the heck, they are here illegally anyway, so what's a little white lie (or green card, heh, heh!).

I must go now. I am very tired. I was up all night copying names from headstones to put on the BS cards we are issuing!!!