He wants consulate to keep up as immigrant population expands

By ALFREDO CORCHADO / The Dallas Morning News

MEXICO CITY – The new Mexican consul general, Carlos García de Alba, plans a significant upgrade of the Dallas consulate, perhaps even a new building next year, to accommodate the growing number – and demands – of immigrants in North Texas.

Mr. García de Alba, who takes over March 8, pledged a consulate operation more closely in touch with Dallas' rapidly growing Mexican population. He cited new Mexican statistics that show the Dallas area with the nation's third-highest concentration of first- and second-generation Mexican immigrants.

But noting that the Mexican government has little money to put out for capital improvements, he said he has instructed the consulate office in Dallas to extend the existing lease, which runs out in November, for another six months. Meanwhile, he said, he'll work to secure a larger, more "dignified" office.

Ahead of a change of address, however, Mr. García de Alba said he will begin decentralizing consular services by offering services online, and teaming up with community organizations and businesses to better reach immigrants who now wait hours in the cramped consular building.

"We shouldn't just wait for our immigrants to come to our consul," he said. "We need to give them options and do a better job of taking our services to them, too. We need to make better use of our resources."

An economist by trade, Mr. García de Alba, 45, was born and raised in Guadalajara. Dallas is his first post abroad for Mexico's Foreign Ministry.

Among the issues facing him in Dallas will be winning expanded recognition of Mexico's consular identification card, luring more Mexican businesses to open shop in the Dallas area, and preparing for the possible vote by Mexican immigrants in their home country's next presidential election.

Mr. García de Alba favors granting Mexican immigrants abroad the right to vote in presidential elections, but he cautioned that "technical as well as juridical issues remain."

Mr. García de Alba becomes the sixth consul general in Dallas since 1994. He replaces Ezequiel Padilla Couttolenc, who is retiring from public service.

Citing new Mexican statistics, Mr. García de Alba said North Texas represents more than 1.2 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, surpassing in numbers other cities like Houston, New York City and San Antonio.

Of every 100 Mexicans in the region, he said, 17 originate from the state of Guanajuato, closely followed by San Luis Potosí, Durango, Zacatecas , Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Michoacán and Jalisco.

"Dallas is a very dynamic city," he said. "I think we're a good fit. There's been instant chemistry."