A new Salvadoran consulate is coming to Fresno County in April, according to the LA Times.
Victor Martinez, who served for four years as the mayor pro-tem for Mendota, says the new consulate will be a huge relief for Salvadorans who typically have to travel to consulates in Los Angeles or San Francisco.
The rural city in Fresno County is home to a large Salvadoran population, a majority of whom are farmworkers.
“If they have to travel somewhere else, that means that they have to take the day off and pay someone to take them and that's hard for some of the people,” he says.
The Salvadoran population in the Central Valley has been growing for nearly 20 years, he says. But without a nearby consulate, many people neglected getting visas, passports and other legal documents.
“With this consulate that we're going to have here in the backyard, I think things are going to be a lot better,” he says. “And that’s going to be a huge help.”
The Salvadoran consulate will be located in the city of Fresno, according to Martinez. He says he’s working to let community residents know it’s coming.
