The native of Guadalajara, Mexico, was among about 150 Mexican nationals who met in Cedar City on Saturday with representatives of Utah's Mexican Consulate to receive new Mexican identification cards, passports or other documents.

"It is definitely helpful that they came down here," said Los Angeles as she filled out her forms at a desk set up outside the Christ the King Catholic Church. "It makes me very happy."

Sergio Estava, with the consulate's documentation department, said Saturday's visit to the southwestern Utah city was an effort by the office to reach out to Mexicans who live outside the Salt Lake area.

He said all the information gathered here Saturday, from Mexicans living in southwestern Utah, would be included in a Mexican government database and shared with the federal government in this country.

"The Mexican government wants to know how many [Mexican] nationals are living in different cities and states," said Estava. "It [the government] also wants to know what they are doing here - jobs or activities."

He said the program does not deal with helping Mexicans obtain legal status or citizenship in this country.

The mobile consulate program makes about 12 stops a year in the territory it is responsible for, which, in addition to Utah, includes Idaho, Montana and western Wyoming.

A room in the church at Cedar City was taken over by consulate workers who had computers and a camera for taking pictures to be used on identification cards that will be mailed out later.

Teresa Salazar, a representative with the consulate who interpreted for Estava, said people had to make an appointment for Saturday's visit and provide a birth certificate as proof they are from Mexico.

Not everyone who showed up Saturday was satisfied, according to Manny Aguilar, an activist in the Latino community in St. George.

Some people didn't know an appointment was required, and were turned away.

"A lot of people are upset," said Aguilar.

Pedro Ruiz drove to Cedar City from St. George, only to be turned away. "I had to miss a day of work," he said.

But Ruiz and others will have another chance in November, when members of the consulate staff will visit a Catholic church in St. George.

mhavnes@sltrib.com