Kate Meadows, Times staff writer
He came with a message of integration.
She came with a mission of education.
Frankfort received two unrelated visitors important to the immigrant community on Thursday: Mexican Consul Juan Solana and Indianapolis immigration attorney Angela Adams, who sparked some dialogue among a variety of community members.
Solana heard concerns and questions from Hispanic business owners and local leaders, including Mayor Chris Pippenger, Sheriff Mark Mitchell and Chamber of Commerce CEO Gina Sheets.
At a lunchtime meeting with Hispanic business leaders conducted in Spanish, Pastor Leo Gonzales told Solana it was important to convey proper information.
"The truth is that there is a lack of information," he said.
Mitchell met with the consul later in the afternoon and said though his time with Solana was brief, it was worthwhile.
"He was very open, very receptive to local law enforcement," Mitchell said. "He's definitely welcome back."
Frankfort was one of the first stops for the newly transplanted Solana, who served as a consul in Texas and New Mexico before moving to Indianapolis earlier this year. He represents more than 300 counties in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio.
"The number-one reason why I'm here is to get in contact with the community," he said. "We are neighbors, friends, allies. We have to be able to work together."
Solana spoke about his responsibilities as a consul, highlighting the importance of education and trade relationships between businesses, both on the local and global fronts.
"The only was you can guarantee people are going to prosper is through education," he said.
As a new consul for the region, Solana said he decided to make Frankfort one of his first visits because of its strong Plaza Comunitaria program through Clinton County's Learning Network. The program works with the Mexican government to allow Mexican immigrants to complete primary, secondary or post-secondary education, learn English and prepare for the GED.
He spent little time talking about immigration matters, saying that immigration reform was needed and that it was important for Mexico and the United States work together.
"There's a lot of not complete truths out there," he said. "Do you know every single person here is legal or not? I don't think anybody can say.
"This is a federal problem, not a state problem."
In her second visit to Frankfort in just over a month, Adams spent three hours at the middle school Thursday night talking immigration with about 150 local Spanish-speakers. She addressed questions about laws, immigrants' rights and the process of becoming a legal citizen.
"We weren't able to speak to them as the audience last time," Adams said, referring to her Jan. 24 visit, when she gave a presentation about I-9 compliance and the process of becoming a legal citizen in English. "We had discussed that we were going to come back. I think definitely the need's there."
People continued to trickle in to the middle school cafeteria as Solano, on his final leg of his day's journey, addressed a curious crowd along with Adams.
"We're helping people to understand what the laws are," she said.
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