State Representative Jonathan Brostoff welcomed the Mexican Consulate to the 19th Assembly District on August 30, and emphasized the importance of access to the services the Consulate provides.
The Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee will provide a much-needed service to our community offering legal advice, passports, consular IDs, and voter registration cards. They hope in the future to also provide community outreach, health care advice, education resources, financial programing, and more. The Consulate can serve up to 150 people each day and will also run a monthly mobile service to other selected cities in Wisconsin.
“The increasing diversity in Milwaukee, and across the state, means our communities gain access to broader perspectives, culture, knowledge, and more. Milwaukee is reliant on immigration for population growth, and having the Consulate helps demonstrate that we are an immigrant-friendly community,” Brostoff stated. “I am proud that Milwaukee was chosen to house the Mexican Consulate and thrilled that our valued Mexican-American neighbors now have this resource in their backyard.”
Between 2000 and 2010, immigration accounted for 47% of Milwaukee’s population growth which filled gaps in the local workforce, created jobs, and contributed to our community. Mexico is Wisconsin’s second largest export market totaling almost $3 billion annually and creating 120,000 jobs in Wisconsin. The Consulate promises to boost these economic ties.
“The Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee will have a tremendous positive impact on the state of Wisconsin. It is an honor to welcome it to the 19th Assembly District,” Brostoff concluded.
Governor Scott Walker joined Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu in a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the new Mexican Consulate building in Milwaukee.
The ribbon cutting comes after a 2013 letter from Governor Walker to the Mexican government requesting a consulate office in Milwaukee.
“A few years ago, we requested a consulate office in Milwaukee because Wisconsin’s Hispanic population has risen and the demand for services has grown,” Governor Walker said. “The consulate will be a tremendous asset to Wisconsin and it will strengthen the already strong economic relationship between Wisconsin and Mexico.”
In October 2013, Governor Walker sent letters to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora requesting a Mexican Consulate office in Wisconsin after Wisconsin’s Hispanic community brought the issue to the state’s attention. While mobile consulate services were available to Mexican nationals at the time, the closest Mexican Consulate office was in Chicago, which also serves nationals from Illinois and Indiana.
Last June, Governor Walker led a trade mission to Mexico and met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ruiz Massieu to discuss the consulate, along with trade and investment opportunities with Wisconsin. Mexico is Wisconsin’s second-largest export destination. The state’s exports to Mexico totaled nearly $3 billion in 2015.
Wisconsin was chosen for a consulate office over Hawaii, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Wisconsin’s Hispanic community and its leaders were instrumental in bringing a consulate to our state.
The new consulate will provide documentation and consular identification services as well as legal rights advice.
