Mexican Consulate Is Target of Protesters

Pro-Border Patrol activists demonstrated Thursday outside the Mexican consulate, accusing Consul General Enrique Loeza Tovar of interfering with the California Highway Patrol and the Border Patrol.

In response, a consulate spokesman said the consulate has not interfered with U.S law enforcement and is simply protecting the safety of Mexican citizens in the United States.

The protest was motivated by statements by Loeza and other consulate officials expressing concern that a newly initiated CHP crackdown on illegal immigrants walking north on Interstate 5 near the border would increase cooperation between the CHP and Border Patrol, according to the demonstrators.

The demonstrators numbered about 20 and included members of the Alliance for Border Law Enforcement, the Federation for American Immigration Reform and other groups tht favor tighter controls on legal and illegal immigration.

“By the very act of crossing the border, these people are criminals,” said Loren Fleming. He said Loeza’s statements promote “lawlessness.”

“The consul’s role should be (as a) liaison with the American government,” Fleming said. “He has no right to say how the American government should work.”

But consulate spokesman Miguel Escobar said Loeza’s discussions with the CHP about the freeway sweeps launched this week were limited to expressing concern for the physical safety of Mexican nationals targeted by the operations. The consulate has an obligation to monitor such issues, he said.

“Our concern is the well-being of our countrymen,” Escobar said. “Regardless of their immigration status, our function is to protect them. There has been no interference of any type.”

CHP officials have said they are not working directly with the Border Patrol but will turn over illegal immigrants to the agency if they catch juveniles on the freeway, if immigration agents are nearby or if agents are needed to interpret.