Thread: Consulate signs accord to help Mexican laborers in U.S.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_com ... 5_0_10_0_C

Consulate signs accord to help Mexican laborers in U.S.
By SARA INÉS CALDERÓN
The Brownsville Herald

September 28, 2006 - The immigration reform that was at the top of Mexican President Vicente Fox’s agenda in 2000, foiled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and taking on a new form since then, has finally arrived in Brownsville.

“We’ve looked for ways to institutionalize bilateral relations,” said Juan Bosco Marti, general director for North America with the Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE in Spanish).

Fox aimed to make life for Mexicans in the United States better, Bosco said, and once the possibility of immigration reform evaporated in the face of terrorism, the Mexican government sought “other mechanisms” to accomplish this goal.

Bosco was in Brownsville Wednesday to sign a local accord with U.S. Department of Labor officials from Dallas that would apply to the construction and service industries.

The accord is part of a bi-national effort between the SRE and the Labor Department to inform Mexican workers in the United States of workplace laws and protect them from abuses, Bosco said. The original document was signed in 2004 by the head of the SRE, Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, and Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

Atlanta was the first local accord signed with the hope of expanding the protections for Mexican workers by focusing on the distinct reality of each consulate, Bosco said. In Atlanta, for example, the consulate and the Labor Department were present, but so was Georgia Tech, a key player for Mexican workers in the area, he said.

In Brownsville, the local version of this accord focuses on the construction and service industries, Bosco said. It is the 18th consulate to sign such an accord out of a total of 47 in the United States, he said.

But immigration reform is still on Mexico’s agenda, Bosco said. Although the United States is a sovereign nation, border security and immigration are issues that require both countries to work together, he said.

Mexico must create more jobs and stability so nationals don’t feel the need to migrate, Bosco explained, while the U.S. immigration system is broken because of a lack of work visas spurring illegal immigration.

“The immigration phenomenon is an issue that is here to stay,” Bosco said. “The way we confront the challenge of border security and the challenge of immigration is a shared responsibility. Each party has to do their part.”

sicalderon@brownsvilleherald.com



Posted on Sep 28, 06 | 12:00 am

“The immigration phenomenon is an issue that is here to stay,” Bosco said. “The way we confront the challenge of border security and the challenge of immigration is a shared responsibility. Each party has to do their part.”

Well, in case these folks haven't noticed, neither side is doing their part! As for Mexico, they have no intention of doing anything that would slow or stop illegal immigration into the United States. To do so would be the same as cutting their own throat and they know it.

Has anyone heard anything in regards to the Mexican government placing thousands of border agents on the Mexican side of the border to prevent illegal immigration into the U.S.? How about we work jointly to fund a fence on the border that would stop the illegal immigrants? Oops, Mexico wants no part of that either. Maybe Mexico could criminally prosecute those individuals we deport back to Mexico. Nope, they don't want to do that either. Exactly what does Mexico want to do to help prevent illegal immigration into the U.S.? I'll tell you what they want:

1. They want us to give them more money to aid them in the building of more infrastructure.

2. They want us to legalize their citizens (dual citizenship). That way we can deal with the added poverty, but the new American citizens (former illegals) can travel back and forth across the border openly and continue financing the Mexican government and investing in the country of Mexico with their American made wages.

3. They want open borders so they continue sending remittance senders (workers that send wages home), drugs, crime, etc. into the United States.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the jest. Mexico wants to improve their standing while riding on the backs of United States citizens. The only Americans to benefit from such an arrangement are corporations and private business owners, Catholic Churches, and labor unions. The average citizen, which is the majority, subsidizes the whole mess while seeing absolutely no benefit! We won't even mention how this negatively impacts our country's law wage earning American citizens.