Immigration foes target Glenwood chief - Articles - CAIR - Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform

Immigration critics are blasting the city of Glenwood Springs for allowing the Mexican consulate to use the city's community center to meet with the Mexican community and issue Mexican identification cards they say are a security risk that benefit immigrants who flouted American laws to come here.

Critics singled out Police Chief Terry Wilson, whose department agreed to host the mobile consulate and cover any fees for using the room.

Mike McGarry, an Aspen resident and Western Slope coordinator for the Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform, called Wilson a "rogue cop" who he said was ignoring the intent of recent state legislation that said state agencies can't accept those cards as official identification in many circumstances.

"Since only illegals need this card," McGarry said, "you can say they're aiding and abetting against state statute."

McGarry said his organization had asked Gov. Bill Owens, the state attorney general and state legislators to investigate and it may ask the district court to step in.

Wilson, who said he's been inundated with dozens of angry phone calls on Friday, said it's much ado about nothing.

"Let me see how I can sum this up," he said. "After a morning of being threatened with lawsuits, investigations, sanctions and just basically some very coarse language, I would say the police department and myself as the police chief are not setting nor supporting any social nor federal policy, nor do we believe we are violating any state, federal or local law."...

The mobile consulate is scheduled to be set up at the community center today from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's part of a program provided by the Denver-based consulate, which covers Colorado and Wyoming, to take its services on the road and reach out to Mexican immigrant [and illegal alien] communities that can't easily get to the office.

The mobile consulate gives staffers a chance to... apply for Mexican passports and consular identification cards....

McGarry said he wonders why a law enforcement officer would help distribute those cards, especially after state legislators cracked down on them.

"I want the police chief to get out of the business of facilitating the Mexican government handing out a card that has been banned in this state," he said....

Aspen City Councilman Terry Paulson, an immigration critic, was among those who called Wilson to express his concerns. Paulson said he's worried the cards aren't valid, and could give illegal immigrants [illegal aliens] unfair access to banks and other services.

"It's sort of a controversy about handing out IDs for people who aren't supposed to be here," Paulson said. "I know several people, friends actually, who have gotten mortgages who are not legal residents of the United States."