Thread: Legalize all immigrants, former Mexican official says

Posted: March 23, 2012 - 11:14pm
By Yann Ranaivo

All illegal immigrants in the U.S. should be legalized, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda told West Texas A&M University faculty and students Friday.

“It’s terrible to have 12 million people living in the shadows without rights,” Castaneda said, referring to the approximate number of illegal immigrants from Mexico living in the U.S.

Castaneda, Mexico’s foreign minister from 2000 to 2003, was the luncheon speaker for the third annual Social Justice Leadership Conference. During the conference, students also participated in workshops to discuss various social issues.

Castaneda said he thinks legalizing all illegal immigrants can help the U.S. save money on deportations. He said deportations typically cost about $20,000 per person.

While conceding that immigration is still a complex issue, Castaneda said the U.S. could help resolve the problem of illegal immigration by creating an amnesty program. He said immigrants could pay fines and undergo criminal background checks, among other measures, to help with their legalization.

Castaneda said emigration from Mexico will continue because of that country’s flagging economy.

“They cannot create enough jobs of comparable salaries to the U.S. for their nationals,” he said.

Fifty-five percent of the 12.7 million Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. are illegal, according to a 2009 report from the Pew Research Center. The nonprofit also reported Mexicans make up roughly 60 percent of the estimated 11.9 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

During a question-and-answer session, one audience member suggested to Castaneda that immigration of Mexicans to the U.S. also could be a contentious issue because many Mexicans are slow to assimilate to American culture.

Castaneda said the slow assimilation occurs, in part, because of Mexico’s proximity to the U.S.

He said Mexican immigrants have an easier time retaining their culture because it has been easier for them to travel back home than previous immigrant groups.

“Mexicans come from next door, which is not the same as coming from China,” he said. “Mexicans, we can live like Mexicans in the U.S.”

But Castaneda said he thinks relations with Mexican immigrants will improve over time. He said older immigrant groups, such as Italians and Chinese, faced similar problems when they first came to the U.S. and took many low-income jobs.

Exactly how Mexicans can speed up their assimilation is tough to answer, Castaneda said.

“Since Mexicans have been coming for so long and so close by, it’s different than the previous waves of immigrants,” he said. “Any of these answers have complex issues.”

Dwight Vick, a WT public administration professor who attended Friday’s conference, said he thinks perceptions of Mexican immigrants will start to change once people start looking past the “political rancor” surrounding the subject.

“We have history in the U.S. of providing amnesty to persons who have entered illegally,” he said, referring to a one-time illegal immigrant amnesty program created during the mid-1980s.

Many Chinese immigrants suffered terrible discrimination when they were hired to work on the transcontinental railroad during the mid- to late 1800s, Vick said.

“We have had this experience, but we eventually overcame it,” he said.

Marco Jimenez, president of WT’s Students in Free Enterprise chapter, one of the student groups at the conference, said he’s not taking a side on the issue of whether all illegal immigrants should be legalized.

“It’s a tough topic, and it’s very complex,” he said. “You always find both sides (of the issue).”

But Jimenez, who attended the conference once before, said he always finds the event interesting because he gets to discuss social issues with field experts.

Some of the topics discussed included the push for single-member districts, race relations at WT, bilingual education in schools and immigration.

One Old Vet

Legalize all immigrants, former Mexican official says | Amarillo Globe-News

Castaneda said emigration from Mexico will continue because of that country’s flagging economy.

Mexico has a growing new middle class and has enjoyed a 5.4% growth in GDP. This sucker is lying. The invasion of this country by poor, ignorant Mexican peasants that are waging a financial and culteral war in this country is state sponsored.

“Mexicans, we can live like Mexicans in the U.S.”

And there's the problem. They refuse to integrate with our communities and have no intention of becoming Americans. They're only here to take what they can to the detriment of U.S. citizens. Not to mention the impact on our neighborhoods when they live like Mexicans - multiple families in each house, ten cars in the driveway, trash strewn lawns.

Castaneda said he thinks legalizing all illegal immigrants can help the U.S. save money on deportations. He said deportations typically cost about $20,000 per person.

It wouldn't cost them a damned dime if they stopped the jobs and freebies for illegals! They would self deport.

“It’s terrible to have 12 million people living in the shadows without rights,” Castaneda said, referring to the approximate number of illegal immigrants from Mexico living in the U.S.

They have more rights than an american citizen and can pick and choose which laws to follow!

“Mexicans come from next door, which is not the same as coming from China,” he said. “Mexicans, we can live like Mexicans in the U.S.”

Of course they can, we are forced in many cases to speak THEIR language!

“It’s a tough topic, and it’s very complex,” he said. “You always find both sides (of the issue).”

There is nothing tough or complex about it. Enforce the damned laws and stop catering to them in any way! problem solved!

Prime example of why they DON'T belong here!...Having chinese or european immigrants that will, and want to integrate is FAR better than Illegal mexicans who have No such desire

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

And there's the problem. They refuse to integrate with our communities and have no intention of becoming Americans. They're only here to take what they can to the detriment of U.S. citizens. Not to mention the impact on our neighborhoods when they live like Mexicans - multiple families in each house, ten cars in the driveway, trash strewn lawns.