Mexican Consulate will invade Northwest Arkansas this weekend

Mexican consul general worried about NW Ark officers' immigration training
Tuesday, Aug 28, 2007
By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK - The Mexican consul general in Arkansas said Monday the city of Rogers is "closing the door" on any talks about the training of police officers for immigration enforcement.Andres Chao told reporters after his speech to the Arkansas Committee on Foreign Relations that he has tried more than once to meet with the Northwest Arkansas city's mayor about the training, which began last week in Boston, but that he has not been able to reach him.Chao said his latest request was to meet with Mayor Steve Womack on Sept. 7 or 8 when Chao will have a "mobile consulate" in Northwest Arkansas. Chao said he has received no response from Rogers officials."They've closed the door," he said.Womack, in an interview later Monday, said he was willing to meet with Chao, but not on the days the consul general suggested because Womack would be busy at a Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament in Rogers.The mayor said someone on his staff recently talked with someone on Chao's staff about the conflict."What was simply said between my assistant and his aide was that's a bad day," Womack said."I've got one of the biggest sporting events in the history of Arkansas happening that week in my town and I am totally committed to the LPGA golf event," Womack said. "I just can't block out that day and say I'm available whenever he is available. If he wants to come up another day, I mean if it's really that important for him to see me, I would think a different day would be OK."The mayor said he did not want anyone to misconstrue his not being able to meet with the Mexican consul on those days to mean he was ignoring Chao or putting him off "because that is not true."Womack said Rogers "has been an open book" since mid-November when it first disclosed its intentions. He noted the city of Springdale, as well as the sheriff's departments in Benton and Washington counties, also had decided to send officers for the training.Last week, 19 Northwest Arkansas law enforcement officers, including six from Rogers, began participating in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287 (g) program in Boston, Womack said. The training lasts five weeks.The mayor said his city also is waiting on an official memorandum of agreement from federal authorities to determine exactly in what types of immigration issues the officers will be trained to assist federal immigration agents.He said just two Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents serve Northwest Arkansas, which has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation.

Chao said he has scheduled meetings in September with the Rogers police chief and with the sheriffs of Washington and Benton counties."It's my point of view that it's better to talk with the community, to know each other and understand the situation and fix it," Chao said. "The (Hispanic) community is worried about this situation. They are wondering what is going to be the next step."He said the consulate in Little Rock has received numerous calls from people who fear unjustified arrests and deportation.Womack said the newly trained officers would not terrorize people or take away anyone's legal rights."If they're an illegal immigrant, how does this take away their rights?" Womack said. "I don't know what everybody is worried about. Having this kind of training and the terms and rules ... established by Homeland Security, I don't understand how there's an uproar ... in any community that suggests we're going to be violating their rights."The mayor said the city would not send its officers on a "witch hunt" for illegal immigrants, but he added, "I'll tell you what, if you are engaged in criminal activity and you are in this country illegally, this is probably not where you are going to want to be."The Mexican consulate opened on South University Avenue across from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in April.During his speech Monday, Chao said negotiations are under way to establish a non-stop flight from Little Rock to Cancun, Mexico, sometime next year. Another flight from Little Rock to Guadalajara, Mexico, is being considered, he said.
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Tuesday night, September 4th, beginning at 6pm will be the Saline County Fair Parade in Downtown Benton. This is a great opportunity to hand out immigration material.