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(Houston) Police to honor Mexican ID cards
Houston Chronicle ^ | March 8, 2002, 10:02PM | By MIKE GLENN

Posted on 03/08/2002 9:04:15 PM PST by Buffalo Bob

An identity card routinely issued by the Mexican Consulate to citizens living in Houston will be considered official identification by Houston police officers.

"Houston police officers are encountering these people on a daily basis -- whether it is as a witness, whether it is as a victim or in some cases as a suspect," Police Chief C.O. Bradford said this week. "I welcome this card as a proof of identification."

More than 130,000 Mexicans living in the Houston area have been issued the document, called a "matricular card." The cards are similar to those often issued by U.S. diplomatic officials to Americans living overseas.

Houston is the first major city in the nation to acknowledge the matricular card as a legitimate proof of identity, said Enrique Buj-Flores, the Mexican consul general in Houston.

"It allows the Houston Police Department to know that these are Mexican nationals and that they have been recognized by the Mexican state through its consular representation," Buj-Flores said.

Because their immigration status may be in question, some Mexican citizens have no valid U.S. forms of identification, such as a driver's license.

"These are not vagrants. They are not loitering. They are hard-working citizens," Buj-Flores said.

Bradford said the document, however, doesn't grant the bearer any diplomatic privilege or is it a "get-out-of-jail-free card."

"It does not exempt anyone as far as them being held responsible for a crime," Bradford said. "It does assist us in determining the proper identity of many of the individuals that Houston police officers come into contact with on a day-to-day basis."

Several area banks also have signed up with the program, Buj-Flores said, and will allow Mexican citizens to open checking accounts using the matricular card as identification.

State Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., D-Houston, called the decision by city officials and area banks to recognize the matricular card a step in the right direction.

"It is an innovative way for the business community to interact with the Mexican nationals who are here," Gallegos said. "That's a pool out there that hasn't been tapped. They have money and they are willing to spend it and put it in the bank."

Police officials are betting that a more widespread recognition of the matricular card will help cut down on crime. Bradford said almost half of all robbery victims in the Houston area speak Spanish.

Although some victims may fear coming forward because of their legal status in the United States, Bradford said his officers do not work for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

"We do not get involved in citizenship status checks," he said.

Buj-Flores said officers will not share information with U.S. officials. "The data bank is confidential. It is something that the Mexican national voluntarily gives to the consulate," he said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: immigrantlist
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To: Regulator
I thought Texas had tough guys, not lay-downs.

Remove the big cities from the Texas equation, and you get your tough guys back in charge. But, big cities rule the day any more.

41 posted on 03/09/2002 11:24:41 AM PST by Semaphore Heathcliffe
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To: Sabertooth
They're illegal colonistas...

That's the most appropriate word to use in these discussions. Thanks for the ping.

42 posted on 03/09/2002 11:29:58 AM PST by Semaphore Heathcliffe
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Comment #43 Removed by Moderator

To: Regulator
I thought Texas had tough guys, not lay-downs.

I think Bush softened them up into cream puffs in his years as Governor...just like what he is doing to the U.S. at large now.

44 posted on 03/09/2002 12:45:17 PM PST by WRhine
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To: Buffalo Bob
"These are not vagrants. They are not loitering. They are hard-working citizens," Buj-Flores said.

No, they are criminals. Just yesterday, I read an article in the very same paper about somebody named Luis Flores-Garcia (or something like that) who killed an innocent motorist as he was fleeing from police at high speeds in a car he had stolen. He kept ramming the vehicle with his stolen truck "until it was out of his way" and killed the guy in the passenger seat.

45 posted on 03/09/2002 12:55:40 PM PST by Allegra
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Comment #46 Removed by Moderator

To: Sabertooth
They are nationals and we are no good gringos who stole the southwest territories from them. I listned to some representative of a Mexican university student group from a California University last night on Oreilly say that they intend to take back what is rightfully their territory. Unbelievable....No doubt these are the children of the illegal aliens receiving affirmative action scholarships and grants.....oops i mean to say children of mexican nationals
47 posted on 03/09/2002 1:11:11 PM PST by majordivit
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To: Buffalo Bob
Houston police and the plitical bosses are aiding and abetting known criminals.
48 posted on 03/09/2002 1:23:55 PM PST by PatrioticAmerican
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To: Buffalo Bob
Houston is the first major city in the nation to acknowledge the matricular card as a legitimate proof of identity, said Enrique Buj-Flores, the Mexican consul general in Houston.

This is really not a new practice. Phoenix police have been accepting these since 1998.

49 posted on 03/09/2002 1:59:54 PM PST by AzJohn
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To: Major Malfunction
Yep, that's the story. The disgusting thing is, there are similar stories in the Houston Chronicle every week. Just about all the violent crimes here are committed by the illegal scum.
50 posted on 03/09/2002 9:38:50 PM PST by Allegra
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To: Texas_Jarhead
It is friggin' unbelievable, tj! what's most unbelievable is...HR Bill 245(i), the most important bill to come around in many years in the House, is being pushed by...the President! And to think so many of us voted for the man... Anyhow, now, what to do? Rep. Tancredo has stated he can't stop it. With the President behind it, we're cooked...unless thousands upon thousands of us get off our duffs and email him! on tuesday, it will be voted on. that's not enough time for a mass protest. Does anyone have a better idea? "friggin' unbelievable II" signing off. levotb
51 posted on 03/10/2002 2:41:16 PM PST by levotb
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Comment #52 Removed by Moderator


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