Guatemalan Consulate Visits Northwest Arkansas
Last updated Saturday, February 23, 2008 6:46 PM CST in News
By Pablo Bello
The Morning News
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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.
Reader Comments (19 comment(s))
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ralphy mendez wrote on Feb 23, 2008 8:03 PM:
ozarks wrote on Feb 23, 2008 10:46 PM:
faithfull wrote on Feb 24, 2008 7:23 AM:
bajarat wrote on Feb 24, 2008 9:57 AM:
Tspud wrote on Feb 24, 2008 10:49 AM:
lmgarcia23 wrote on Feb 24, 2008 4:34 PM:
Tspud wrote on Feb 24, 2008 7:15 PM:
How's the fake ID going for Alianiss Nunez Morales in Minnesota? "
Tspud wrote on Feb 24, 2008 7:17 PM:
Tspud wrote on Feb 25, 2008 1:46 PM:
U.S. immigration officials say today they've determined the identity of the 24-year-old woman who drove a van into a school bus, killing four children last week in southwestern Minnesota.
The driver has been identified as Olga Marina Franco and she's from Guatemala, according to Gail Montenegro, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chicago.
Franco has been charged with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide stemming from the Feb. 19 crash near Cottonwood. Witnesses say she blew through a stop sign, jumped over some railroad tracks and hit the rear of the bus, which tipped over and collided with a pickup truck.
The woman initially said her name was Alianiss Nunez Morales, but ICE officials said she was using a fake name and was here illegally. "
cybertech wrote on Feb 25, 2008 7:44 PM:
" What about the illegals that have children and wifes here? Does anyone not think about that? All they want to do is be able to take care of their families. "
If that is the case then they need to get off their rears and start the naturalization process.
Entering and staying in any country illegally is not only taking the easy and lazy way in, but it is also a slap in the face to all those that took the time to enter that country the right way.
So I ask you to consider the feelings of those that went through the naturalization process and are now productive citizens. I have talked to many and they are outraged at illegal aliens and rightfully so as I would be to had I immigrated to a country legally and watched as others took the easy and lazy way.
These false ID documents being handed out by the consulate is a perpetuation of illegal amnesty and as well the consulate is slapping the faces of those that chose to do things the right way, by entering this country legally through naturalization. "
cybertech wrote on Feb 25, 2008 7:45 PM:
"
lifer66 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:24 PM:
ProudLatina wrote on Feb 28, 2008 6:31 PM:
Madison wrote on Feb 29, 2008 9:32 AM:
We don't hate these people for the color of their skin,we hate what they're doing to this country.
Everyone deserves a chance for a better life,but they should do it legally,and pay their dues just like every other legal immigrant to this country. "
ProudLatina wrote on Feb 29, 2008 1:19 PM:
sovereignty wrote on Mar 1, 2008 7:16 PM:
sovereignty wrote on Mar 1, 2008 7:26 PM:
Not already registered?
adabell wrote on Feb 23, 2008 8:02 PM: