Mobile Mexican Consulate rolls through red tape

Hundreds of people eagerly waited on a Mott Haven street Tuesday, but not for concert tickets. Instead, they waited to be served by a mobile Mexican Consulate unit.One person had even been waiting since

News 12 Staff

Mar 18, 2008, 5:07 PM

Updated 6,017 days ago

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Hundreds of people eagerly waited on a Mott Haven street Tuesday, but not for concert tickets. Instead, they waited to be served by a mobile Mexican Consulate unit.One person had even been waiting since 11 p.m. Monday in the cold outside 230 Alexander Ave. The mobile unit processes Mexican passports and issues "matriculas consulares," which are honored by police officers, financial institutions and employers as valid identification.
The mobile unit, which was created a month ago, travels throughout the city to help alleviate long lines and appointment wait times of up to six months at the Mexican Consulate in Manhattan.
The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Few people complained about waiting to be seen Tuesday, saying service is worse in Manhattan.
Consulate officials say people wanting a Mexican passport must bring a valid birth certificate and official form of identification.