Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake hosting information sessions geared to Mexican immigrants

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City is hosting a series of free advisory sessions this week for the Mexican immigrant community to educate them on their rights and legal options.

Consular offices all across the United States are holding similar workshops, the ninth annual installment of what the Mexican Foreign Ministry dubs, in English, External Legal Advice Week. The activities started Monday at the consulate in Salt Lake City with events, some repeated, planned for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each day through Friday.

"Do you need advice from an immigration lawyer?" reads a Facebook post on the Mexican Consulate Facebook page.

The theme of this year's installment of the event is Inclusion is Protection. The varied activities, the consulate said in a statement to KSL, are aimed in particular at helping women, children, teens and the LGBTQ community and safeguarding them from violence, discrimination and infringement of their rights.

"This week, a range of allies of the consulate will offer advice and address the concerns of fellow nationals in this office's facilities," the consulate said. The consulate statement also noted the support of the effort by the Mexican government's Legal Assistance Program for Mexican People in the United States.

Utah Legal Aid, which offers legal assistance to those who can't afford it, will provide information on the varied visas available to immigrants, domestic violence issues and more during its sessions. Other participants include West Jordan-based Perretta Law Office and Granite Credit Union, which will provide information on the granting of powers of attorney for temporary guardianship of minors.

A consular office will offer sessions on immigrant rights and the importance of having a family plan in the context of the ongoing immigration crackdown. The Asian Association of Utah will offer a session on labor rights.

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"All questions are welcome," Rodrigo Mendivil Ocampo, head of the consular section of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a Facebook message.

While External Legal Advice Week is an annual event, it's particularly germane now in the context of increased efforts of the administration of President Donald Trump to detain and deport immigrants in the country illegally. Other immigrant advocacy groups around Utah have also held informational sessions geared to the immigrant community.

The Mexican Consulate is located at 660 S. 200 East in Salt Lake City.

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