Fresno's Mexican Consulate busier amid immigration crackdown across US

The Department of Homeland Security reports 1.9 cardinal immigrants person near the US voluntarily successful the past year.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Inside the Mexican Consulate successful northeast Fresno, unit accidental they person seen a increasing request for services.

Head Consul, Irma Pimentel Portilla, says galore of them are considering a hard and life-altering decision.

"You are integrating yourself and your household into a nine that you don't truly cognize due to the fact that you unrecorded successful different country, truthful socially, it's a immense occupation for families," she said.

For those choosing to instrumentality to Mexico oregon astatine hazard for deportation, officials say, mentation is key.

They promote Mexican nationals to person important documents ready.

"Any benignant of protective bid that's truly important, and we are recommending to our assemblage to speech astir this program with each the members of the family," says Valeria Solorio Sepulveda.

Aside from documentation, programs similar Mexico Te Abraza, oregon "Mexico Embraces You," assistance returnees use for work, providing certification of skills learned portion successful the US.

Once they get crossed the border, offices adjacent large ports of introduction connection assistance with transportation, paperwork and connecting families with services to assistance them instrumentality to their hometowns.

Outside the consulate, we met Juan, a farmworker from Merced who's already weighing those decisions.

Despite 30 years successful the US moving successful the fields, paying taxes and raising a family, Juan says helium ne'er had a way to ineligible residency.

Now astatine 60 years old, helium says enactment is getting harder to find and the fearfulness of migration enforcement is ever astatine the backmost of his mind.

Whether helium stays oregon leaves, the Mexican Consulate says having documents and a program tin marque a hard concern a small little overwhelming.

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