Guatemalan Consulate came to Northwest Arkansas
Last updated Saturday, February 24, 2007 9:43 PM CST in News
By Pablo Bello
The Morning News
ROGERS -- The Guatemalan Consulate came to Northwest Arkansas to provide passports and identifications to Guatemalans who live in the area.
Guatemalan Consul Jose Barillas, said he came to provide passports, matriculas consulares (identifications), visas, permits to travel and authorize other documents.
"We expect around 600 Guatemalans because we show up once a year," said Barillas, who has his office in Houston.
The jurisdiction of the consulate is Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Victor Perez, 28, said he came to get a passport and matricula consular to get his legal permanent residence, and those are the documents the immigration service is asking for.
Barillas said he was unaware Rogers Mayor Steve Womack requested in November that Rogers police officers be certified and trained through a program providing local law enforcement similar authority of federal immigration officers. The officer's level of authority would depend on details found in a memorandum of understanding which the city hopes to enter into with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Womack said the plan isn't for the city to have officers patrolling for illegal immigrants, but to have officers with authority to act on immigration issues if illegal immigrants are detained by the department.
The Guatemalan Consul said he would like to know more about the issues Guatemalans are facing in Northwest Arkansas, and if it is necessary to have a meeting with Womack, he will meet him.
Womack said Saturday he would meet with the Mexican Consulate or the Guatemalan Consulate, but he has not received any invitation for an organized visit.
He said the Mexican Consulate sent him a letter in December regarding Rogers' application to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program.
Andres Chao, the new Mexican consul who came to Northwest Arkansas last week to visit with the Hispanic community, invited Womack to discuss the problems of the Mexican community in the area.
Barillas said the Guatemalan Consulate will come back next year.
"I would like to send greetings to Guatemalans and exhort them to keep working and to not have any flaw, to avoid any problems with the law," said Barillas.
Razorback Central
July 10th, 2009
Reader Comments (37 comment(s))
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To: Consulate What? wrote on Feb 25, 2007 10:47 AM:
" Now you know how the rest of the world feels when America does the same thing in other countries, dont be a hipocrate...I welcome any consulate that wants to help their poople in a peacefull manner...dont listen to this rednecks because they dont speak for all of US. "
LadyM wrote on Feb 25, 2007 10:48 AM:
" You better believe that foreign consulates are coming here telling local authorities waht to do and how to do it. The foreignors have more rights than American Citizens and better representation. "
Sad State of Affairs wrote on Feb 25, 2007 12:02 PM:
" We are slowly losing control of our country while everyone snoozes. Wake up, Americans! In a few years you will be living in a third world country! "
To Sad State of Affairs wrote on Feb 25, 2007 2:55 PM:
" Have you been to Detroit? Or how about the Delta?
Wake up! Our people are already living in a third world country because people are living in fear about illegal aliens instead of getting off their butts to help their neighbors who already live here, were born here, etc. "
Bob wrote on Feb 25, 2007 4:03 PM:
" One of the primary reasons that lower class Americans have to live in poverty is because Illegals are taking the low paying jobs. If you really want to help the poor then fight illegal immigration. "
american wrote on Feb 25, 2007 8:46 PM:
" for your information a consulate its just a form of goverment aid for a given countrys citizen and just in case you didnt know theres american consulates all over the world including mexico and main purpose of this consulates is to aid theyr citizens so stop been ignorant. "
why are you so afraid? wrote on Feb 25, 2007 11:03 PM:
" oh man! This can't be happening,please people c'mon,face it,we don't live in a sort of bubble.This is the earth,and the earth includes America;which is inside the earth.What?still without understand,ok I'll be clearer because you don't understand a word.
STOP blaming to the undocumented people about all that happens to you or this country.
Many factors are involved that affect the economy of the states not just the "illegal aliens".
By the way what happens in China has an effect in the states if you didn't know it...
"
JESSICA wrote on Feb 26, 2007 9:18 AM:
" THE UNITED STATES HAS CONSULATES IN MANY COUNTRIES..NOT JUST THE EMBASSY. THE CONSULATE IS AN OFFICE WHERE CITIZENS OF THAT COUNTRY CAN GET PASSPORTS, ETC....WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE MEXICAN OR GUATEMALAN CONSULATE TO COME TO NWA TO ISSUE PAPERS TO THEIR CITIZENS? HELLO?
"
Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 11:33 AM:
" The problem Jessica is that these are ILLEGALS that he is here to give papers to. They have already committed crimes something you don't think is important.
"We expect around 600 Guatemalans because we show up once a year," said Barillas"
How many must be working under other peoples names or driving without license or insurance? How many have taken aid from our government or not paid their medical bills? How many have children in our schools at our expense? How many have been in jail hence we paid court & incarceration expenses?
These are numbers that are hard to find but they are not numbers to many of us that are impacted by their flagrant disregard for our laws and the sucking of our social services that should be going to CITIZENS.
see how easy it is to not type in capital letters. Hello??rx "
to Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 12:35 PM:
" These governments are trying to fix the problem. They are here to help "legalize" their people by giving them the proper documents to allow them to stay legally. The reason why Rogers has had two recent visits, one from Guatemala, one from Mexico is because Womack has publically come out and said that he WILL get the illegal issue resolved. The squeaky wheel is getting greased. They're trying to get their people the paperwork they need before they start seeing their people rounded up by the bus load, and shipped back. Womack is not messing around, and these governments know it. Maybe some other government officials need to take notes. "
Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 1:06 PM:
" This is the old "best defense is a good offense" tactic. I for one can not stand by and watch them drag our country down to their level. They seem proud of that fact.
Their in your face attitude while they are picking your pocket is amazing. In most cases they do not feel any remorse in stealing our tax dollars and services. We can not do this in their country but they fully expect to do it in ours. "
JESSICA wrote on Feb 26, 2007 1:10 PM:
" To TSPUD:
99.99999999% of all the Guatemalans, and El Salvadorians are here legally under the TPS program. (Temporary Protection Status)...read and inform yourself before posting more "stone age" coments..
"
Isabel wrote on Feb 26, 2007 1:33 PM:
" It never ceases to amaze me the amount of ignorance that is out there. Don't blame homelessness on immigrants... if you want a job...GET ONE! I've known many immigrants who've come here with NOTHING and are now proud homeowners or business owners. That's the great thing about America, you can work for what you want! I know that people fall on hard times and I agree we should help them... but not indefinitely. Especially when they dedicate themselves to having children that we ALL have to pay for. Stop blaming immigrants on all the problems we have in our country. Educate yourselves on the situation and keep your racist and ignorant comments to yourself. "
Isabel wrote on Feb 26, 2007 1:38 PM:
" to TSPUD:
Not EVERYONE who is here illegaly is out committing crimes! Wow...talk about IGNORANT stereotyping! "
Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 2:16 PM:
" Jessica, you and I both know you are wrong.
The ILLEGALS don't say they are here illegally and of course the ones you talk about fall into your category. There is no way 99.99 per cent are here legally, period end of argument.
Most are here ILLEGALLY hence the consul's trip. To Isabel: I never said they ALL were committing crimes.
Todays news: The U-S Marshals Service says 41-year-old Manuel Hernandez was arrested and charged Friday night in connection with the rape of a 7-year-old girl in Palm Beach County, Florida. According to police, Hernandez is an illegal alien from Guatemala. "
Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 2:45 PM:
" In 2005, Mexico detained 240,269 illegal aliens in its territory. Of that total, 42% were from Guatemala, 33% from Honduras, with most of the rest being from El Salvador. The Border Patrol has a term for them, OTM, Other than Mexican. Time Magazine reports that "from October 1 of last year [2003] until August 25, the Border Patrol estimates that it apprehended 55,890 OTMs". In November, 2006, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security reported that based on U.S. Border Patrol statistics there were 30,147 OTMs apprehended in 2003, 44,614 in 2004, 165,178 in 2005, and 108,025 in 2006. Most of them were apprehended along the U.S. Southwest border. These numbers represent a distinct undercount since the Border Patrol routinely sanitizes and under reports numbers of illegals. It is therefore reasonable to assume that Other Than Mexicans account for at least several hundred thousand illegal entries annually. In 2004, over 50,000 apprehended "Other-than-Mexican" illegal aliens were released by the Border Patrol due to a lack of detention space. Most of them did not show up for their immigration court hearing.There are 400,000 illegal aliens being sought by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as "Absconders," and 100,000 of them are criminals. They have been ordered deported but cannot be located. "
JESSICA wrote on Feb 26, 2007 3:27 PM:
" JESSICA we feel so sorry for you .no facts no life .just let me ask why are you here in the u.s if you like mexico so much its not because what they have done to mexico is it??? then why ley them do it here "
Hey Friends wrote on Feb 26, 2007 5:44 PM:
" The argument about going back to theyre countries is out of the question for the reason that its so corrupted on the money being made on supplying Americas nose, lungs, veings, full of drugs. America experienced this type of corruption in the early proabition days (chicago al capone). I find it peculiar that this country being the richest, advance, and powerfull, not mass deporting the illegals its been done before remember the trail of tears. Maybe they know something we don't know, what would happen to this country if you remove the cheaper labor force, along with all the jobs going oversees, simply china would be the new world power (cheap labor force along with all the jobs). "
Genocide wrote on Feb 26, 2007 6:03 PM:
" Actually the worst was when the europeans stepped foot on america, they said that there was 40 million natives, when ever the europeans came there was 4 to 6 million "
Genocide wrote on Feb 26, 2007 6:05 PM:
" you know from diseases, plagues, the worst of the worst, talk about third world living conditions european style "
Tspud wrote on Feb 26, 2007 9:37 PM:
" The Indians fought amongst themselves and enslaved other tribes.
genocide is an unfortunate human curse
not the confined the white race. "
BG wrote on Feb 27, 2007 11:12 AM:
" The matricula consular is an identity document that a government provides to indicate the holder is a citizen of the country that issues it. It is only needed if the holder has no other documentation. It is usually used to obtain a driver's license, bank account, etc. It does not confer legality to the holder. A visa is supposed to be issued before the holder travels to the country for which the visa is issued. In the instances described in the article, both documents are being provided to the individuals because they do not have legal documents to be in the country. They are lawbreakers. If that does not make them criminals, it is only in a lack of understanding of the definition. "
JESSICA wrote on Feb 27, 2007 12:36 PM:
" TO BG:
CONSULAR OFFICES ARE HERE TO OFFER DOCUMENTS TO THEIR NATIONALS AND ALSO TO ANY U.S. CITIZEN..!!! IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THOSE COUNTRIES, PROBABLY YOU NEED A VISA. IF YOU NEED TO IMPORT SOMETHING FROM THOSE COUNTRIES (WAL-MART?) IS EASIER TO GO TO THEIR CONSULAR OFFICES FOR ANY PAPERWORK, INSTEAD OF GOING TO WASHINGTON DC (THEIR EMBASSIES ARE IN D.C.)
ETC. ETC...
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY ARE HERE TO HELP.
"
BG wrote on Feb 27, 2007 2:14 PM:
" To Jessica - You missed the point. The matricula consular is a document that is only needed by someone in the country who does not have valid documents to be here. A person who is here legally, has a valid visa that they received before they entered the country. The visa process is such that you don't enter a country and then reqest a visa. More to your point, if you need a visa for Brazil, then the Brazilian consulate near you in the US can help you get it. If you enter Brazil without a visa, the local American consulate can try to get you that visa, but you have already made an illegal entry, and Brazilain authorities will deal with you accordingly. "
To Isabel wrote on Feb 27, 2007 2:41 PM:
" By definition, every invader who is in this country illegally is committing a crime with every breath they take. Wow! Talk about ignorance! Don't you know what the definition of "illegal" is? "
Salga! wrote on Feb 27, 2007 2:43 PM:
" http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/02/more_americans_killed_by_illeg.php
Illegal aliens are killing more Americans than the Iraq war, says a new report from Family Security Matters that estimates some 2,158 murders are committed every year by illegal aliens in the U.S. The group says that number is more than 15 percent of all the murders reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. and about three times the representation of illegal aliens in the general population.
"
Has any one wrote on Feb 27, 2007 2:55 PM:
" Has any one taken illegal drugs before, illegal drinking, taken illegal prescriptions, used illegal cable, downloaded music movies, watched illegally pirated movies, illegally driving with out a license or insurance, the list can go on and on if you said yes to any of this turn yourself in to the cops Don't you know what the definition of "illegal" is "
Tspud wrote on Feb 27, 2007 2:58 PM:
" To BG, I think Jessica missed your point because she thinks 99.9999 percent are here legally which in that twisted/warped reality, they would already have the papers. When I went to Brazil last year I got my visa in Chicago and went thru customs and immigration in Brazil unlike
99.9999 percent of these people. "
Biased Statistics wrote on Feb 27, 2007 3:51 PM:
" i love reading your biased statistics, on the flip side can you post the other side so that we can have the pros and the cons. surely a cheaper work force keeps america competitive with china which is making leap and bounds at becoming the next world power they already have most of the industrial jobs a cheaper work force. Maybe you should get rid of the illegals and when china becomes the world power and takes over the U.S. the illegals should starting flooding the border again. "
TO TSPUD wrote on Feb 27, 2007 4:22 PM:
" You wrote:"Todays news: The U-S Marshals Service says 41-year-old Manuel Hernandez was arrested and charged Friday night in connection with the rape of a 7-year-old girl in Palm Beach County, Florida. According to police, Hernandez is an illegal alien from Guatemala."...
I'm sure that's the ONLY crime that was committed on that day....why don't you report the crimes that were committed by citizens on that day. I'm truly sorry for the girl and her family and NO ONE should have to go through that... but many crimes are committed... report those to this site as well and then we can TRULY compare statistics. Don't be such a racist TSPUD... what goes around comes around!
"
Tspud wrote on Feb 28, 2007 9:25 AM:
" You can not condone bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior. We have enough crime without having more crawling into the US everyday. What have I posted that is racist? You saying that I am does
not change the facts that I am posting and it is intellectually dishonest. I am just as adamant against ILLEGALS from Russia. "
TO:TSPUD wrote on Feb 28, 2007 11:00 AM:
" You're adamant against ILLEGALS...yet you only tend to mention HISPANIC immigrants...yet you're NOT racist? RIGHT...sell it to someone else. You ONLY focus on the bad aspects and tend to ONLY mention hispanics. I would also like to know if you can trace your heritage back? Did you come from a family of immigrants? I hope you never have to endure some of the things these people go through everyday just to be here and try and make a better life for themselves and their families. Show compassion for these people, let them have a chance to do things the right way and allow them to file for work permits. I do think that the ones who have committed serious crimes should be sent back. I completely agree with that...but we should have some compassion for the ones that are here and trying to better their living situations. "
Tspud wrote on Feb 28, 2007 11:15 AM:
" Most of the ILLEGALS on this site are Hispanic. I can't change your news. I am 6th generation of my family in the same business and my ancestors immigrated in 1600's.
That has nothing to do with these ILLEGALS and why we should have to carry their burden. At what number does it stop? Do we take every uneducated, unskilled, illiterate person in the Western Hemisphere? When a person is here illegally or they have relatives, they use this argument. Since they don't pay their taxes or drive with insurance, is it okay for me to do the same? I am sick of paying higher taxes to support their new better life. I didn't adopt them, they broke into my house and are taking social services that should be going to citizens. Now what part of what I just said is racist?" "
To Tspud wrote on Mar 1, 2007 9:37 AM:
" Just out of curiosity...How many languages can you speak? You call these people uneducated, unskilled and illiterate when in fact not all of them are, not even most of them. There are many that have many skill levels and are in fact educated; and guess what? A great deal of them speak english! How many "illegals" have you had an opportunity to speak with? or have gotten to know? "
Tspud wrote on Mar 1, 2007 2:49 PM:
" Just where do you get this info "when in fact not all of them are, not even most of them"? Facts do not support that, only 15% have a college degree and my bet those are mostly not Hispanic.
32% have less than 9th grade education
17% 9th to 12th and only 25% have high school diploma.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/homeland.php?id=551525
If they are so well educated, why are they
at the bottom of the pay/job scale? "
Dan M. wrote on Mar 9, 2007 8:45 AM:
" How dare these foreign governments flaunt their illegal populations in our country. The only people who needs these matriculas are illegals, who are also identity thieves, who use the social security numbers of Americans. This causes untold hours of problems with the IRS, but who cares about Americans, anyway? Certainly not our US government elected officials, who are plotting right now to give 18 million illegal identity thieves a free pass to jump ahead of the people who are trying to enter the country legally.
Personally, I don't think we need anymore immigration. We need another 50 yr time out, like we have had many times in our past. It's our history, let's go back to what works and end the wholesale overunning of American by third worlders, who needs them? Rich companies who seek to drive down American worker's wages and turn us all into wage slaves. "
Not already registered?
Consulate What ? wrote on Feb 25, 2007 2:50 AM: