Rep. Dana Rohrabacher flew by helicopter to Santa Catalina Island at dawn Thursday to personally condemn an effort by the Mexican Consulate to offer identification cards to local undocumented workers.
But his hastily arranged visit, which aimed to single out Avalon as an example of a community overwhelmed with illegal immigration issues, drug abuse and crime, drew mixed reviews from island officials and merchants.
Some welcomed the attention in an isolated seaside community, about 22 miles off the Southern California coast, where an estimated 70% of the 3,000 permanent residents are Spanish-speaking Latinos...
