An Inconvenient Consulate, Part I
By: Jenne Anderson
Updated: November 19, 2012
MIDLAND-- It's been a long day for Andrea Esquivel and her mother.
"We've been here since 5 o'clock in the morning," said Esquivel.
The two are going on 4 hours in line at a temporary Mexican consulate set up at Martinez Bakery, and it's looking like they'll be here all day.
"That's just to get the number," explained Esquivel. "So after you get the number you still have to wait another 4 or 5 hours more."
While waiting in line this long may seem like a waste of time, hundreds of people like Esquivel showed up to get their proper documents from the Mexican Consulate.
"I need to get my Mexican Passport," said Ismael Natividad who lives in Midland.
"I need ID, birth certificate, and pictures," said Snyder resident Fernando Torres.
The closest Mexican Consulate for residents in the Permian Basin is set up in Presidio, about a 4 hour drive each way.
"It's pretty hard to, you know, to kind of ask for a day off," said Natividad, "And go over there to Presidio and come back the same day."
Because of the distance to Presidio, many of these Mexican Nationals say their only option is to wait until the mobile consulate comes to Midland on the second Saturday of each month.
"I had to wait a long time, so maybe I lost all day," said Torres.
"Just once a month is not enough for people to try to come here every day," said Natividad.
Between the all-day drive to Presidio, or the all-day wait once a month at the mobile consulate, Esquivel says many of these people say when it comes to getting assistance from the Mexican Government; they feel like they don't have many options.
"Sometimes we do need help from the Mexican government right away, and we can't get it because we have to wait a month," said Esquivel.
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"We've been here since 5 o'clock in the morning," said Esquivel.
The two are going on 4 hours in line at a temporary Mexican consulate set up at Martinez Bakery, and it's looking like they'll be here all day.
"That's just to get the number," explained Esquivel. "So after you get the number you still have to wait another 4 or 5 hours more."
While waiting in line this long may seem like a waste of time, hundreds of people like Esquivel showed up to get their proper documents from the Mexican Consulate.
"I need to get my Mexican Passport," said Ismael Natividad who lives in Midland.
"I need ID, birth certificate, and pictures," said Snyder resident Fernando Torres.
The closest Mexican Consulate for residents in the Permian Basin is set up in Presidio, about a 4 hour drive each way.
"It's pretty hard to, you know, to kind of ask for a day off," said Natividad, "And go over there to Presidio and come back the same day."
Because of the distance to Presidio, many of these Mexican Nationals say their only option is to wait until the mobile consulate comes to Midland on the second Saturday of each month.
"I had to wait a long time, so maybe I lost all day," said Torres.
"Just once a month is not enough for people to try to come here every day," said Natividad.
Between the all-day drive to Presidio, or the all-day wait once a month at the mobile consulate, Esquivel says many of these people say when it comes to getting assistance from the Mexican Government; they feel like they don't have many options.
"Sometimes we do need help from the Mexican government right away, and we can't get it because we have to wait a month," said Esquivel.
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