Under a ”pinkie promise” agreement reached between Santa Maria mayor Larry Lavagnino and a Mexican consul, residents will no longer be able to pick up Consular Identification cards from mobile offices within city limits.
For years, the Mexican consulate in Oxnard has distributed the “Matricula” or Mexican ID cards during weekend events, drawing crowds and complaints from local businesses about the resulting traffic congestion. The Mexican government issues the cards to its citizens living outside of Mexico, but the cards have no bearing on immigration status.
According to the city, the consulate isn’t required to provide traffic control at the distribution events, and city permits aren’t required. Lavagnino said the events drew hundreds of people and cars and caused a public safety hazard for a city ranked No. 1 among similar-sized cities for hit-and-run accidents.
“Obviously, if they’re coming in for Matricula ID cards, common sense tells you that a very good majority of them would be either unlicensed or uninsured,” Lavagnino said. “You put them all in a small area, you’re just waiting for an accident or somebody to be run over.”
Meeting in April with Mexican consul Rogelio Flores Mejia and others, including Santa Maria Police Chief Dan Macagni, Lavagnino warned the consulate if the mobile distribution events were to continue, he would have no choice but to formally request U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) to respond. He also advised Mejia that the Santa Maria Police Department would cite unlicensed drivers and those without insurance at the events, with probable cause.
While Lavagnino didn’t have the authority to issue a ban on the distribution, he did get the consul to agree to stop holding events in Santa Maria with—no joke—a “pinkie promise.”
“If I can’t take an official from the government of Mexico at his word, we’re in a pretty sad state of affairs,” Lavagnino said. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to keep my part of the bargain, and I expect him to keep his.”
Lavagnino added that he has no problem with people obtaining the ID cards as a way to open bank accounts or purchase goods requiring identification.
Mexican Consul Mejia was unavailable for comment.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2011.