Mexico ties border security to massive illegal alien amnesty
By Chris Kelly · July 13, 2005 07:39 PM
Jorge Castaneda - Vicente Fox' former foreign minister - spoke before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday and said the following:

"There can be no future cooperation [on border security and anti-terrorism measures] beyond what already exists without some form of immigration package"
In other words, give us a massive amnesty for all of our citizens in your country, or else. Bear in mind that Castaneda was not speaking for the Mexican government, although there can be little doubt that what he said reflects their opinion to a great degree.

According to Ira Mehlman of FAIR, several of the members of the committee nodded in agreement to that and his other remarks. Please use this link to contact those Senators and suggest they sharply renounce Castaneda's statements.

There are some additional details in "Mexican candidate says U.S. must liberalize immigration" which starts out:

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...
In 2002 when he was still working for Fox, Castaneda said the following:

"What's important is that American society sees a possible migratory agreement in a positive light," Castaneda said. "We are already giving instructions to our consulates that they begin propagating militant activities -- if you will -- in their communities."
If you don't particularly like the idea of our "friends" to the South making threats, please contact the Senators and suggest that perhaps all that "cheap" labor just isn't worth it.

UPDATE: FAIR has issued a strongly-worded press release:

"When anyone, much less a former foreign minister of a supposedly friendly nation, comes before a committee of the United States Senate, and issues ultimatums and thinly veiled threats against the United States, one would expect outrage and condemnation from members of Congress. Instead, we got meek acquiescence or deafening silence from the members who were present," said Stein. "If the government of Mexico is not prepared to join us in this struggle, without conditions, then they cannot claim to be an ally and our government must view them as such. Allies do not engage in extortion."
FAIR is calling upon the Bush Administration and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to formally protest Castaneda's demands with the Mexican government. "If Colin Powell were to make similarly outrageous demands in a foreign capital, we would expect a reply and repudiation from the American government. We should expect no less from the current government of Mexico," Stein said.


I'd be very surprised if the Bush administration or the Senators do anything about this, but maybe if they get enough phone calls they might.

This is the same story as yesterday, but it is clear we are not the only ones who viewed this as a very negative sign.