Thread: Mexican consul to help immigrants

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Mexican consul to help immigrants
Published Sat, Jun 25, 2005

By TRAVIS LOLLER
The Island Packet
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HILTON HEAD ISLAND -- Mexican immigrants who come to the United States quickly can run into problems if they don't have proper personal documentation. Everyday tasks -- cashing a paycheck, for example -- are difficult without official identification.

A consular identification card, issued by the Mexican government to its citizens living in foreign countries, can help. Mexicans have a chance to apply for one of the cards today, during the annual visit of Mexican Consulate officials based in Raleigh, N.C.

Deputy Consul Karla Ornelas said the cards originally were used to help the Mexican government keep track of its citizens living in the U.S. But in recent years some banks and local government agencies have come to accept the cards as valid identification.

"Not everyone (who applies for the cards) is legal; not everyone is illegal," said Janeth Miller, president of the board of directors of the Hilton Head Island-based Latin American Council of South Carolina. For instance, she said, a legal Mexican immigrant who has lost his Mexican identification card might apply for a new one.

The issuance of the cards -- even though some might be going to illegal immigrants -- doesn't attract attention from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency, formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service, is responsible for making sure immigrants are in the U.S. legally.

The consular unit is on the island today only -- probably not long enough to give cards to all the immigrants who want them, if what happened last year is any indication. Consular officials processed identification cards and passports for about 800 people from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and still didn't meet the demand, said Luis Bell, director of the Latin American Council of South Carolina.

This year, the consulate expects to process a maximum of 500 applications because the process takes longer, Ornelas said. Bell predicted there will be many more applicants than that.

The need for a valid form of identification is great, and some enterprising individuals have taken advantage of it, charging $200 to $300 to drive Mexican nationals to the consular office in Raleigh, said Miller, the Latin American Council president.
Contact Travis Loller at 706-8140 or tloller@islandpacket.com.

Why don't you help them stay in Mexico?