Consulate offices in North Texas are ramping up services as the demand for consular services increases.
Consulates from Peru, Guatemala and Mexico have been using community forums, social media and other platforms such as WhatsApp in recent weeks to get the word out about their services. They have seen an increase in demands as the uncertainty of deportation remains high in the communities they serve.
Services offered by consulates include passports, ID cards, voting in their country’s elections, how to prepare if a family member is detained, and what rights foreign nationals have in the U.S.
Mexican Consul General Francisco De La Torre said when it comes to people being detained, his office is monitoring that U.S. authorities are following due process.
“Every single person has rights that are protected by the U.S. Constitution and international law,” De La Torre said. “That's exactly what the Mexican consulates are doing right now."
For Mexican nationals living in the U.S., the Mexican government has established a new program called Mexico Te Abraza (Mexico Hugs You). The program helps people reintegrate into Mexico — whether they have been deported or are returning voluntarily — by getting children back in school, providing health resources and providing money to return to new arrivals to their state of origin, De La Torre said.
“It means that every single Mexican national that crosses the border into Mexico is welcome,” he told KERA.
Another resource is the ConsulApp Contigo, which will alert emergency contacts as well as the nearest Mexican consulate office if a person is detained.
In a recent livestream on Facebook Guatemalan Vice Consul Tania Hernandez said although the number of deportations has not increased, more people continue to call her office for help. She said through the Guatemalan Institute of Immigration, services for those who are deported include getting them to their place of origin and connecting them to their families.
“In that sense, people can stay calm because many people reach out to us,” she said in Spanish.
In the broadcast, Hernandez and other immigration advocates said it was important for families to have an emergency plan. That included knowing where important documents are, including the power of attorney letter to care for children should parents be detained.
The concerns of what to do if a parent is detained has been a collective concern among Latino immigrant groups.
Peruvian Consul General Liliana Trelles is encouraging Peruvian nationals to keep their documents in order and have their National Document of Identity (DNI) and passport together, should an emergency occur.
"We receive multiple calls daily regarding asylum,” said Telles, who is the consul over Texas, Kansas and Arkansas. She has asked for Peruvian nationals to continue with legal processes through their attorneys and to remain calm.
The common thread that consulates have shared with their communities is that they are there to serve and people should not be afraid to reach out to them for services. Mexican Consul General De La Torre reassured immigrants they are not alone.
“No estás solo, no estás sola,” he said.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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