The Consul General of Mexico in San Diego is partnering up with City Heights Community Development Corporation to protect and support Mexican citizens living in vulnerable situations related to their status as immigrants.
The two organizations signed an agreement in July, and it is among more than 20 that the consulate has penned with organizations throughout the county to offer resources and referrals to its citizens living in San Diego, Ambassador Alicia Kerber Palma told me. It allows both the nonprofit and the consulate to identify people who might benefit from services with the other and make referrals — with the immigrants’ permission.
“Much of what consulates do is through strategic networks that allow us to not only give information, but also have resources for our community,” Kerber Palma said in Spanish.
She said that enables the consulate to carry out its most important mission.
“It’s our principle function not just to protect the interests of Mexico in the United States, but also the protection of our co-nationals in the U.S.,” she said. “It’s the principle responsibility.”
That includes allowing City Heights CDC to refer family members to the consulate if immigration officials detain a loved one because consular staff can communicate with and even visit people in custody.
“It’s a big peace of mind for our community here,” said Javier Gómez, chief advising officer at City Heights CDC.
Kerber Palma said that the consulate has to confirm familial relationships before it can give out information about someone in U.S. custody.
City Heights CDC offers services to improve the quality of life for neighborhood residents ranging from food assistance to workforce training. It also has some countywide programs, including its emergency food pantry.
When a family brings up concerns about immigration enforcement, staff members work with the family to develop a plan in case a loved one gets detained, including determining how the family will replace lost income and who will care for any children, Gómez said.
While the nonprofit and the consulate are still ramping up their communications and referrals, Gómez said, the consulate has already identified one woman who is interested in taking classes with City Heights CDC to help her grow a business that gives her the financial stability to leave an abusive relationship.
“Reports of domestic violence are down,” Gómez said.”We know that it’s not because it’s not happening, but rather because people are afraid to report it. We want to make sure we’re able to empower and uplift our community in any way we can.”
Kerber Palma has spearheaded support for Mexican women living abroad as part of her work as an ambassador. She launched the first Ventanilla de Atención Integral a la Mujer, or Women’s Comprehensive Care Window, when she worked at the consulate in Kansas City in 2015, and now Mexican diplomats have installed the program at all of their sites in the United States.
“Sometimes they don’t know what rights they have access to because of their vulnerable condition,” Kerber Palma explained. “The women’s window, what it’s looking for is the empowering of women. If they want a specific training, we will look for the institution that can give that training so they receive all of the information they need so they can be self-sufficient and independent here in San Diego.”
Kerber Palma emphasized that the exchange of information between the two entities does not happen automatically. The consulate can share information with the nonprofit only if the person involved gives permission and vice versa.
The consulate will also invite City Heights CDC to participate in its mobile consular services days when it sends teams to parts of North County where many Mexican immigrants live, including Escondido, Oceanside and Vista.
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In Other News
Consul General in Tijuana: An Escondido native is the new U.S. Consul General in Tijuana, Alexandra Mendoza reported for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Lance Hegerle, a 27-year veteran with the State Department, has replaced Christopher Teal.
Delaying DACA: The federal government has delayed processing renewals for the program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects people who came to the U.S. as children from deportation and allows them to work, Gustavo Solis reported for KPBS.
Stolen wages: Greg Moran and Jenna Ramiscal reported for inewsource that many caregiving facility workers, many of them immigrants from the Philippines, are still waiting for payouts from wage theft cases.
Prison sentence: A CBP officer who pleaded guilty last year to working with the Sinaloa Cartel to allow drugs into the United States was sentenced to nine years in prison, Alex Riggins reported for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Operation Stonegarden: The University of California San Diego is cutting ties with a program that allowed its police to receive federal funding in exchange for working with Border Patrol after public pushback, Phoebe Huss reported for CalMatters.
Water outage: Juan Miguel Hernández reported for El Sol de Tijuana that Tijuana had to ask the U.S. for emergency support after several neighborhoods lost water due to failures in the pump system. Giovanny Urenda reported for the same outlet that even after repairs, many residents still aren’t receiving water service.
Reinforcing checkpoints: U.S. Border Patrol is looking to invest in beefing up local immigration checkpoints, such as the one in Jamul, Alexandra Mendoza reported for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Little League: Tijuana will represent Mexico once again in the Little League World Series this year, Gustavo Solis reported for KPBS.
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