An Idaho congressman is asking Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to delay opening a Mexican consulate in Idaho. Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, sent Rice a letter Wednesday saying the delay is necessary until the federal government can prove that a consulate will not foster the continued presence of illegal aliens in the state. Idaho is one of several states without a Mexican consulate. Recent data from the U.S. Census shows Hispanics make up the state’s biggest and fastest-growing minority population. Sali has made his fight against the consulate a campaign issue. The conservative Republican represents Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Canyon County, home of one of the state’s biggest Latino communities.
(AP)