Thread: Hundreds line up at mobile Mexican consulate

Hundreds line up at mobile Mexican consulate

By David Garbe
staff writer

Hundreds line up at mobile Mexican consulate


AURORA — Hundreds of Mexican immigrants lined the sidewalk at Bardwell Elementary School Thursday, awaiting a chance to get identification cards from their native country.

The school's gymnasium is playing host to the mobile operation of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, which will be available to assist Mexican citizens there through Saturday.

The vast majority of people waiting in line were seeking to get a matricula consular, a photo ID card designed by the Mexican government primarily for its millions of citizens living in the United States without American documentation.

American immigration hawks criticize the matricula cards for making it easier for illegal immigrants to continue living in the United States.

The small green cards are accepted by some local government agencies and can be used to obtain driver's licenses in some states, although not Illinois.

Some of the immigrants waiting in line Thursday acknowledged that they are undocumented, while others said they are legal.

Missael Andrade, a West High freshman, came to get a card with his mother and 3-year-old brother.

The toddler was born here, but Andrade and his mother said they are both legal immigrants who have been waiting for their American citizenship applications to be approved for years.

Because the citizenship process has been so slow, they decided to get the Mexican ID card as a back-up.

Most immigrants waiting in line Wednesday said they wanted to get a matricula because the cards are accepted as valid IDs for setting up bank accounts.

Banks are keen on selling their services to the estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants in America.

"You're missing the boat if you're not serving that population," said Sandy Lorenz, a regional manager for Fifth Third Bank.

She and several of her staffers offered information on setting up bank accounts and other financial services to the hundreds of immigrants waiting in line Thursday at Bardwell.

The mobile consulate, which visits a different city each week, is scheduled to open again from 1 to 6 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Those who show up toward the end of those hours may find themselves turned away. On Thursday, petitioners began lining up three hours before the doors opened, and more than 150 applications for the matricula consular had been issued within an hour.

Jesus Quiroga, a consulate staffer, said the mobile office could probably only issue 200 matriculas that day.

08/25/06

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beac ... S10825.htm

Had me worried there thought it was Aurora, NC

And I thought Aurora, NY. LOL
Too many cities with the same name now that all these papers are available on line.
In any event, the idea of a MOBILE consulate disturbs me!

AURORA — Hundreds of Mexican immigrants lined the sidewalk at Bardwell Elementary School Thursday, awaiting a chance to get identification cards from their native country.

The school's gymnasium is playing host to the mobile operation of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, which will be available to assist Mexican citizens there through Saturday.

What makes me angry is that they setup shop in a public school paid for by US taxpayers. The Mexican government already has over 50 consulates in the US. More than twice the number of other foreign governments.

Wouldn't it be cool if these "traveling consulates" are just a ploy to get them to come forward so they know where they are when the day comes to stick them on busses and get them out of our country??