Thread: ILLEGALS Not Met With ‘Open Arms’ in Arkansas

Mexican consulate, raids and lawmakers’ ire faced Ark Hispanics during 2007
By JON GAMBRELL

LITTLE ROCK - Mexico’s 47th consulate in the United States opened in Little Rock with the cutting of a green, red and white ribbon in April, an acknowledgment of Arkansas’ rapidly growing Hispanic community.

But not everyone greeted Arkansas’ new community with open arms in 2007, as state legislators denounced illegal immigration, federal agents raided businesses and the state police looked at conducting immigration checks.

News surrounding the state’s Hispanic population, growing at one of the fastest paces in the nation, was the year’s eighth-biggest story, according to a poll of Associated Press-member broadcasters and newspapers, as well as AP’s Arkansas staff.

The opening of the Little Rock consulate came after lobbying by former Gov. Mike Huckabee, with Arkansas winning out from other mid-South states. A vacationing Gov. Mike Beebe did not attend the formal opening of the consulate, across the street from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, but Lt. Gov. Bill Halter attended on his behalf.

“This increases the capacity of the Mexican state to bring attention, protection and assistance to all of those living abroad, independently from their immigration status,â€

Now, Chao said the consulate plans to hire three or more new staffers in the coming year, anticipating demand will only grow.

Probably hire illegals.

Those 'undocumented' are actually 'highly documented' with fraudulent documents our government readily accepts.

Thhere are legitimate reasons for there being a Mexican Consular represntation in Arkansas. Whether the majority of the staff serve those functions is another question.