Mexico is all talk
June 20, 2008


Actions speak louder than words, and the actions - or lack thereof - by the Mexican government show just how little that nation's officials truly want to help solve the illegal immigration problem.


This Saturday, the Mexican consulate is expected to spend a half-day in St. George assisting Mexican nationals, both legal and illegal, with a variety of services. One key component will be to distribute and update matricula cards.

The cards are a point of contention for many people who oppose illegal immigration. The cards are necessary for Mexican nationals to maintain certain components of legal status in their home country, such as allowing them to vote in Mexican elections. For illegal immigrants in the United States, the matricula cards provide identification.

And that is where the Mexican government is proving how little it respects its own citizens and the legal residents of the United States.

The consulate's representatives are spending a half-day in St. George, not even close to enough time to serve the Mexican nationals who reside in this area. For comparison, the Guatemalan consulate, which has vastly fewer residents here than Mexico, has visited the area twice within the past year for two days each.

It's been three years since the Mexican consulate has visited. Now that officials are returning, they don't plan to spend even a full day.

Why should Americans care? The key is the matricula cards.

One of the most challenging issues within the undocumented immigration problem is the nearly impossible task of tracking people who are here illegally. At least with the matricula cards, Mexico has a record of who is in this country and where.

That's important information that, if Mexico really wanted to solve the problem, our neighbors to the south could provide to help American authorities.

Such information would be valuable to the United States if and when Congress ever decides to finally act to solve the problem.

Yes, the U.S. government has failed to do its part to curb and eliminate illegal immigration. But the Mexican government is culpable. And its actions in St. George are illustrative of its overall policy.

Like their American law-making counterparts, the Mexican officials are all talk and no action.






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