Mexican Consulate Plans Expansion : Oxnard: Official says more room is needed to serve the growing number of immigrants and to handle trade and tourism.

The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard announced Thursday that it has reached a preliminary agreement with the city to greatly expand its offices at the Transportation Center.

Consul Luis Humberto Ramirez said the expansion is needed because of the growing number of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans moving into the area and the consulate’s responsibilities for promoting a North American free-trade pact.

“When our consulates were first established, their main function was to issue documents and provide protection to our citizens. Now we are being told to emphasize a new function: Modern Mexico requires trade, tourism and cultural promotion,” Ramirez said.

The consulate serves about 500,000 Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Ramirez said, and that population is growing about 3% a year. About 350,000 are legal residents, he said.

In December, the consular office was packed every day with hundreds of people applying for travel permits. Lines snaked down to the bus terminals on the first floor.

“We were just being overwhelmed,” Ramirez said.

With its new offices, the consulate will occupy most of the second floor of the Oxnard Transportation Center in downtown Oxnard. Ramirez said he had received several offers to move the office elsewhere, but decided to stay in the Transportation Center.

“It has great ventilation, easy access, clean public bathrooms, a cafeteria downstairs and plenty of space for people to move around,” he said.

The new office will house the consulate’s new computer, which is hooked up to Mexican banks with access to market and trade information. Ramirez, an economist by training, said he hopes to assist and advise entrepreneurs interested in investing in Mexico.

The consulate’s eight staff members occupy a 1,250-square-foot room at the Transportation Center. The expanded consulate will have three rooms, including a private office for the consul, with a total area of 2,100 square feet. It is expected to be completed by the end of January.

Ramirez said he has agreed with the city on a three-year deal but plans to keep the consulate at the Transportation Center indefinitely. He would not disclose the terms of the financial agreement, except to say “the city treated us very well.”

Oxnard Finance Director Rudy Muravez said the City Council has to approve the deal before it becomes final, but City Manager Vernon Hazen said he was pleased to retain the consulate as a tenant. “It’s important for them to be there, and we’re pleased that things worked out,” he said.

The location of the consulate created problems last year with the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, but the two agencies have reached an understanding.

Former Consul Zoila Arroyo de Rodriguez complained that immigration officials were conducting sweeps just outside the consulate, which she considered a violation of her country’s sovereignty. Immigration officials said the consulate was located in an area frequented by illegal immigrants and that the raids could not be avoided.

But since the arrival of Ramirez in September, relations with the INS have improved.

“We have no problems with the consulate staying at the Transportation Center,” said Special Agent Mike Malloy, head of the Ventura County office of the INS.

“We’ve reached a good understanding. We stay away in December when a lot of people go to the consulate, and we try to do our work out of sight from the consulate.”

For his part, Ramirez said he had the utmost respect for Malloy and was happy with the arrangement.