Thread: Lou Dobbs, Richardson debate immigration before tough audien

http://www.heraldtribune.com

Article published Jun 16, 2006
Lou Dobbs, Richardson debate immigration before tough audience
BY LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ

AP HISPANIC AFFAIRS WRITER

The U.S. can build a wall to keep immigrants out, but it must work more closely with Mexico if it has any hope of reducing the massive flow of illegal immigrants, panelists including CNN anchor Lou Dobbs and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson told a group of more than 2,000 Hispanic journalists Friday.

Dobbs, who has campaigned intensely to strengthen border security and stop illegal immigration, blamed Mexico for the large numbers of immigrants crossing the borders.

"Mexico is a shame for its people, for what it's done for its people in the last 30 years," he said, adding that it "exports its poor to the United States," while failing to provide jobs and education for them.

But Richardson, a Democrat, said the U.S. needs to work more closely with the Mexican government on joint anti-smuggling efforts, joint patrols and job creation.

"What's wrong with Mexico not creating, along with our assistance, jobs along the border?" he told an audience of about 2,000, at the 24th annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic journalists.

Richardson said the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was supposed to help provide jobs in Mexico, has not brought the promised prosperity.

Former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, an opponent of NAFTA, agreed. He pointed to wealthier European Union countries that have invested heavily in poorer neighboring countries to successfully avoid mass immigration.

"We thought at the time it should have been part of NAFTA," said Castaneda, "but we can still do it."

Mexicans by far remain the largest group of undocumented migrants at 5.9 million, or about 57 percent, according to an analysis of government data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group. Some 2.5 million others, or 24 percent, are from other Latin American countries.

Castaneda said that if conservative Mexican presidential candidate Felipe Calderon - whom he supports - is elected next month, he will likely follow President Vicente Fox's efforts to work closely with President Bush to reduce illegal immigration.

He said leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party would more likely take the traditional Mexican government stance: "It's not our problem. It's your problem."

Dobbs dismissed the notion that Mexico was seeking to stop immigration and that the U.S. can and should act unilaterally.

"The president says we can't deport people. The fact is that we can," he said. "The president says we can't build a wall across our borders. The fact is we can."

In a moment that elicited laughter throughout the audience, Richardson turned to Castenda and said in Spanish, "Listen Jorge, are you going to let him go on like that," referring to Dobbs' criticism of the Mexican government.

During the debate Castaneda said Mexico is not just losing its poor.

"We are losing our brightest, our most adventurous and most entrepreneurial," Castaneda.

The debate comes as chances are looking increasingly slim that the House and Senate will reach a compromise bill before the November midterm elections.

The Senate passed a bill last month that would provide a path to citizenship for some of the nation's estimated 11 million, while allowing others to obtain renewable three-year guest worker visas. But House leaders now say they want to extensively review the Senate bill. The House's law-enforcement version lacks any provisions for eventual citizenship or temporary workers status.

U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services head Emilio Gonzalez had been scheduled to join the debate but canceled his appearance about two week before the event. USCIS spokesman Dan Kane said Gonzalez "had a scheduling conflict and he was unable to make that conference." He would not say what the conflict was and declined further comment.

"What's wrong with Mexico not creating, along with our assistance, jobs along the border?" he told an audience of about 2,000, at the 24th annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic journalists.

Why not just give them Texas, California, and Arizona and be done with it! Why do these jobs have to be created along the border? What's wrong with the Southern or center of Mexico?

Former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, an opponent of NAFTA, agreed. He pointed to wealthier European Union countries that have invested heavily in poorer neighboring countries to successfully avoid mass immigration.

Yeah Jorge, just we need, we'll outsource American jobs so Americans can be unemployed while Mexicans prosper.

"The president says we can't deport people. The fact is that we can," he said. "The president says we can't build a wall across our borders. The fact is we can."

You're darn skippy we can, Lou!

The debate comes as chances are looking increasingly slim that the House and Senate will reach a compromise bill before the November midterm elections.

No plan at all is better than S. 2611. All we have to do is force the federal government to start seriously enforcing the laws already on the books. Yes, that means prosecuting employers!

U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services head Emilio Gonzalez had been scheduled to join the debate but canceled his appearance about two week before the event.

He was probably afraid of Lou Dobbs. Can I assume Emilio Gonzalez is part of the problem, anyone know?

Has anyone every questioned why the current administration seems to have hispanics in key positions related to the immigrant issue? I've never really thought about this before, but I wonder if this is by design? I know, it's a conspiracy theory.

But Richardson, a Democrat, said the U.S. needs to work more closely with the Mexican government on joint anti-smuggling efforts, joint patrols and job creation.

"What's wrong with Mexico not creating, along with our assistance, jobs along the border?"

evidently Richardson needs to read the Constitution that he took an oath to 'preserve, protect and defend' --- it was created for the "common defense and general welfare" of the people of the United States NOT Mexico.

and what's wrong with the congress and the president actually securing the border and providing adequate jobs for the citizens of this country? after all, that was what they were elected for

Former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, an opponent of NAFTA, agreed. He pointed to wealthier European Union countries that have invested heavily in poorer neighboring countries to successfully avoid mass immigration.

He obviously has not been paying any attention to world events, as almost every advanced nation has a massive influx of third world illegals right now.