The Los Angeles consular offices of a number of Latin American nations are hoping for what they see as the best for immigrants in the U.S.: That the new law that allows law-enforcement officers to question persons suspected of entering the country illegally, and to arrest anyone who can't provide proof of citizenship or legal residency, will be repealed or struck down by the courts.
The local consuls of nine Latin American nations — who represent their respective governments' diplomatic interests — recently joined together in calling the Arizona law a clear violation of human rights that is especially aimed at the Latino community.
The diplomats made the statement during a recent press conference at the Mexican Consulate in the Westlake district west of Downtown Los Angeles. The group included representatives of El Salvador, Guatemala, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico.
The consuls vowed to do what they can to protect their compatriots while the legal process plays out. They also compared the Arizona law California's Proposition 187, which sought to deny illegal immigrants social, public health and education services, during the 1990s. The courts later struck down Prop 187 as unconstitutional.
Mexican Consul Juan Marcos Gutierrez asked the immigrant community to remain calm as legal challenges to Arizona's law make their way through the courts.
Guatemala's consul, Pablo Garcia Saenz, noted that there is anxiety on the part of immigrants from his country who are currently living in Arizona, some of whom have already expressed their intention to leave that state.
"We're asking people to remain calm so they won't leave the state," said Garcia, who estimated there are between 30,000 to 40,000 Guatemalans living in Arizona.
The Consul of Ecuador estimated that an estimated 10,000 Ecuadorians live in Arizona, while said the state is home to between 5,000 and 7,000 Brazilians.
Other estimates indicate that Arizona is home to approximately 460,000 undocumented immigrants living in Arizona, the majority of them of Mexican origin.
The Mexican consul also announced the availability of a law firm in Arizona that works in conjunction with the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) to deal with matters related to the new law.
Gutierrez said that Mexicans in Arizona requiring consular support have a toll-free telephone number for protection, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-877-632-6678.
Mexican consulates in Arizona are located in Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas and Yuma.
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
Photo by Impulso.
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