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Reality, Not 'Railing,' on Immigration

Wednesday, July 26, 2006; A16



Eugene Robinson says I "rail" at Mexico for encouraging illegal immigration to the United States and asks "what right does the Mexican government have to stop" its citizens from leaving ["Secure Borders: The Cuban Solution," op-ed, July 14]? This comparison is beyond apples and oranges; one has nothing to do with the other.

First, it is illegal in Mexico to leave the country except at designated places. But more important than Mexico's exit policies is the Mexican government's well-documented assault on our sovereignty by its encouragement to its citizens to head north. The encouragement goes far beyond "practical advice" to avoid dying in the desert, including recommendations for evading detection once inside our country (such as to "avoid loud parties"). How about this reported directive from Ernesto Ruffo Appel when he was commissioner for northern border affairs in Mexico: "If the Border Patrol agent finds you, try again."

To deny that the Mexican government actively encourages illegal immigration is silly. Mexico acts this way because it is hooked on the $20 billion in annual remittances from Mexicans working in the United States -- more than it earns from tourism or foreign investment and perhaps economically more important than its state-owned oil industry.

Also, Mr. Robinson asks readers to imagine how horrible it would be if to leave the United States, we had to "ask permission from government officers who could arbitrarily say no, you're not going anywhere." He should try getting on a plane to any number of foreign destinations without his passport or a visa and see what happens.

As for the gratuitous "xenophobe" gibe against me, maybe Mr. Robinson could explain how he squares that with my call for a substantial increase in legal immigration. The issue is not immigration, but illegal immigration.

J.D. HAYWORTH

U.S. Representative (R-Ariz.)

Washington

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