Thread: Mexican candidate says U.S. must liberalize immigration

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincitie ... 116684.htm

Posted on Tue, Jul. 12, 2005


Mexican candidate says U.S. must liberalize immigration

BY MICHELLE MITTELSTADT

The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - While Mexico has enhanced security since the Sept. 11 attacks, future cooperation hinges on U.S. willingness to liberalize its immigration policies, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda warned Congress on Tuesday.

Castaneda, who is running as an independent in the 2006 presidential race, said security must be twinned with what he called the "whole enchilada" - legalization for the 6 million Mexicans living here illegally, visas for Mexicans desiring to come here in the future, and economic development for impoverished interior regions responsible for the exodus.

"There can be no future cooperation beyond what already exists without some form of immigration package," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a border security hearing.

Just as immigration is a volatile topic in the United States, Castaneda said the idea of enhanced U.S.-Mexican cooperation on security issues, such as military-to-military involvement, is "very, very sensitive" to Mexicans.

"It is not easy for any Mexican government to move forward on that," he said. "It can be done in a package. If it's done in a sort of salami-type arrangement - slice by slice - I'm not sure it's going to work."

But Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., pointed to the difficulties inherent in enacting a massive immigration-and-security package and instead suggested that both countries tackle measured "confidence-building" steps.

"I can't agree with you that we have to do this in totality," Dodd said. "As a practical matter, it's just very difficult to anticipate Congress adopting large comprehensive proposals."

The Senate Judiciary Committee on July 27 will consider rival proposals that would create guest worker programs for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants of all nationalities already here.

One, by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., would provide a path to citizenship after six years as a guest worker. The other, being drafted by GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona, would require the guest workers to return home when their visas expire.

Both bills include enhanced border security measures but fall short of the expansive framework advanced by Castaneda.

The former Mexican official, who resigned from President Vicente Fox's Cabinet in 2003, acknowledged that Mexico must do more to crack down on organized crime gangs operating with near impunity along the Southwest border. He also spoke of the need for Mexico to control its southern border, which Central Americans and other foreigners cross en route to the U.S.

"More and more people in Mexico today understand that our southern border has to be brought back under control," he said. "We are having enormous problems with the Salvadoran gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha, in southern Mexico. We are having enormous problems with prostitution (and) drugs on our southern border."

The United States is confronted with a rising wave of foreigners using Mexico as a platform to cross illegally into the United States, Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar testified.

The Border Patrol is on pace to apprehend 148,000 non-Mexican illegal immigrants this year - nearly twice the 75,000 arrested last year, he said. As many as 4,000 non-Mexicans arrested this year are from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and other countries known to harbor terrorists, said Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar, R-Ind.

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Castaneda, who is running as an independent in the 2006 presidential race, said security must be twinned with what he called the "whole enchilada" - legalization for the 6 million Mexicans living here illegally, visas for Mexicans desiring to come here in the future, and economic development for impoverished interior regions responsible for the exodus.

So we take on your welfare cases and fix your economy? Forget about it! Hey use some of that Oil money you have and fix it yourselves...

"More and more people in Mexico today understand that our southern border has to be brought back under control," he said. "We are having enormous problems with the Salvadoran gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha, in southern Mexico. We are having enormous problems with prostitution (and) drugs on our southern border."

What a coincidence!

We're having the same problems on our southern border, too.

WOW

What is THIS suppose to mean If you ask me I heard nothing short of a "BRIBERY" on behalf of this guy

Essentially, he was saying, Mexico will not cooperate in securing their southern OR northern borders UNLESS the United States agrees on a massive amnesty program.(comprehensive package)

HOLY SMOKE. Somebody get Judy Get William Get every Alipac member in America Call the Minutemen Notify Congressman Tancredo

I am SERIOUS. Did I read this correctly

I cannot believe this. Did this sound like a bribe or a threat to anyone else?

God, I hope George Bush can handle this job of being President. We're going to need someone with some backbone, now.

While Mexico has enhanced security since the Sept. 11 attacks, future cooperation hinges on U.S. willingness to liberalize its immigration policies, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda warned Congress on Tuesday.

"enhanced security" since 9/11? Are you serious? No one has enhanced security since 9/11 anywhere. Wake Up People!! "enhanced security" is a "mirage". Mexico doesn't know who enters their country and could care less. Mexico sends everyone they want to get rid of to the United States and could care less what the repurcussions are to the United States. Mexico is not a friend based upon recent revelations. They are a conspiratorial enemy of our people and their own.

Castaneda, who is running as an independent in the 2006 presidential race, said security must be twinned with what he called the "whole enchilada" - legalization for the 6 million Mexicans living here illegally, visas for Mexicans desiring to come here in the future, and economic development for impoverished interior regions responsible for the exodus.

Here this, you stupid sack of manure. Your problems are not ours. You will see, one day, every single one of those people you sent here illegally back in your country. Your impoverished interior regions responsible for the "exodus" was poverty creations by your own Mexican Policies to sustain an income gap of monumental proportions; use that "poverty cry" to open the borders to the United States; to empty your country of Mexican Indians you consider unworthy of long-term Mexican Citizenship...you are racist pigs and we've got your number now. At least, I do.

"There can be no future cooperation beyond what already exists without some form of immigration package," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a border security hearing.

What is this MEXICAN SOB Political Candidate doing at a hearing on border security before the US Senate Foreign Relatons Committee of the United States of America? Hmmmm. I believe we need to "research" that committee...and see who these silly fools are.

What is this MEXICAN SOB Political Candidate doing at a hearing on border security before the US Senate Foreign Relatons Committee of the United States of America? Hmmmm.

This is what our trinational goverment will be like.

Oh you're a great American, Judy and when you called him a sack of manure, oh my gosh, you are so right.

I am distressed over WHAT he said and you brought to my attention that we need to be distressed about WHERE he said it as well. I didn't even think about that. HE SHOULD NOT BE THERE

At first when I read that I thought he was talking to Mexico's so called Congress. ( I believe they also call it that, don't they?)

But, what is this? A threat? A bribe?

We need a strong president and I fear what will happen because we don't have one.

To me this has RED FLAGS all over it. EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD HEAR THIS.

Castaneda, who is running as an independent in the 2006 presidential race, said security must be twinned with what he called the "whole enchilada" - legalization for the 6 million Mexicans living here illegally, visas for Mexicans desiring to come here in the future, and economic development for impoverished interior regions responsible for the exodus.

"It can be done in a package. If it's done in a sort of salami-type arrangement - slice by slice - I'm not sure it's going to work."

Does this guy have some kind of a food fetish?

And only 6 million Mexicans are living here illegally? Where'd the other 5 to 10 million of them go?

Has there been an increase in alien abductions via UFO recently?

Guys, I don't know about you, but I hear a "NEW TONE" coming out of Mexico, with this information.

Several weeks ago I read some opinions (I can't remember where), but the opinions were that eventually, (in the not too distant future), Mexico might begin to change it's tune, and the new tune would be ugly.
The articles were saying that in the future we might have to deal with Mexico in a much different way. I believe they thought in a military way.

Now that I read this, I'm thinking back to when I read those articles, and it seems plausible.

However, the bottom line is that we can CLOSE (not just secure) our border if it were to become necessary.
I am so interested in hearing other people's opinions regarding this article.

Originally Posted by jp_48504

Just as immigration is a volatile topic in the United States, Castaneda said the idea of enhanced U.S.-Mexican cooperation on security issues, such as military-to-military involvement, is "very, very sensitive" to Mexicans.

There are no security issues with Mexico that can't be solved with our military on thier border. What is this "military to military" stuff he's blabbing about?