Gov. Scott Walker sent a letter to the president of Mexico and the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Oct. 2 requesting they open a consulate office in Wisconsin.
Currently, Mexican immigrants must go to Chicago to fulfill their consular needs, including assistance with obtaining U.S. identification while adjusting to life in the U.S. The Mexican consulate in Chicago currently serves over three million people in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, which has generated a two-month backlog, hindering Mexicans seeking national documents.
Walker cited the backlog and the growing Hispanic population in Wisconsin as prime reasons for opening an office in the state. Hispanics currently account for 6.2 percent of Wisconsin’s population, according to an estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Chicago Consul General publicly supports efforts to alleviate the backlog, according to Walker’s letters.
Juan Carlos Ruiz, a community organizer for the Wisconsin-based Latino rights organization Voces de la Frontera, said the absence of a consulate makes obtaining U.S. documentation, especially identification, difficult. He also said making the trip to Chicago takes an entire day and parking issues add to the overall difficulty.
“If [the state] has one office here in Milwaukee, it can serve all people that live in Wisconsin,” Ruiz said.
The state already has a mobile office, servicing cities such as Madison, Janesville, Appleton and Milwaukee. Walker’s letter states the mobile office highlights the growing need for a permanent consulate in Wisconsin.
Walker also said a consulate would help the state’s economic relationship with Mexico. Hispanic-owned businesses in Wisconsin contribute $2.4 billion in sales annually, while employing approximately 11,000 people, according to a Monday statement from Walker.
