Mexico Opens California Office to Issue ID to Illegals

Twenty-six miles across the sea. an illegal ID office is waiting for me:

The Mexican government is opening a satellite consular office on Catalina Island -- a small resort off the California coast with a history of drug smuggling and human trafficking -- to provide the island's illegal Mexican immigrants with identification cards, The Washington Examiner has learned.

The Mexican consular office in Los Angeles issued a flier, a copy of which was obtained by The Examiner, listing the Catalina Island Country Club as the location of its satellite office. It invites Mexicans to visit the office to obtain the identification, called matricular cards, by appointment.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican whose district includes Catalina Island, said handing out matricular cards will exacerbate an already dangerous situation.

"Handing out matricular cards to Mexicans who are not in this country legally is wrong no matter where it's done," he said. "But on Catalina it will do more damage. It's a small island but there's evidence it's being used as a portal for illegals to access mainland California."

Rohrabacher added, "If there were a large number of Americans illegally in Mexico and the U.S. consulate was making it easier for them to stay, Mexico would never permit it."

I did a piece back in 2008 about how Catalina had become a Mexican gang haven. I guess it's only natural that the Mexican government would want an office there.

Rush Limbaugh had a story yesterday about how Mexico is opening new offices in their own country to help repatriate Mexican citizens who will be returning to their homeland because of the Arizona immigration law. Those offices I can support.