Thread: Solving Illegal Immigration Nation to Nation

Spot-On: Marisa Trevino: Solving Illegal Immigration Nation-to-Nation


http://www.spot-on.com/archives/mtrevin ... l_imm.html


Feb
19
2008


Solving Illegal Immigration Nation-to-Nation


The once white-hot issue of illegal immigration has taken a curious twist in American politics.


On the one hand, state and local politicians are using the polarizing topic as the foundation of their bids for public office.


But on the national level, presidential candidates try to distance themselves from that same issue. They pay just enough lip service to give the impression that they care about it, but not too much - not unless they're campaigning in those pockets of the country directly impacted by the problems created by having undocumented residents.


To be fair, last year's bipartisan partnership forged among Senators John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Jon Kyle, and fully supported by President Bush, which resulted in the crafting of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a good start at addressing the issue.


That it was roundly defeated in Congress and its supporters have since tucked their tails between their legs and retreated is a disappointing commentary on where the issue now stands at the federal level. Just how loathe Washington is to touch the issue was underscored during the recent visit of Mexico's President Felipe Calderon.


Mexico's president was received by state legislatures, governors and business groups but not by the White House where an invitation was never extended to the visiting head of state.


Political analysts, on both sides of the border, noted how unusual that a foreign leader visiting another country would not be met by the president, even if it was an unofficial trip. It's too bad because much is changing when it comes to immigration law in Mexico - and it's at the U.S.' behest.


If reforming the nation's immigration system is to ever be fully realized, it has to be on the national level. Not with work site raids, family detention facilities, border walls and intimidation tactics by neighborhood law enforcement and local and state politicians but taking it to the next level where only national players can -- through nation-to-nation cooperation with the one country where the majority of undocumented immigrants originate.


There are current attempts by immigration reform critics to bolster the justification of building a wall between Mexico and the United States by citing Mexico's historically harsh treatment of their own illegally arrived population.


It's an argument that Mexican legislators are trying to turn into a moot point.


In May of last year, the Chamber of Deputies in the Mexican Congress revoked age-old immigration laws that mandated prison sentences and huge fines for a list of offenses that resemble current U.S. policy towards undocumented immigrants: working illegally in the country, marrying a citizen for the sake of permanent residency, staying with an expired visa and returning to the country after being deported.


Mexican legislators want to change the current policy of imposing those guilty of these violations with lengthy prison sentences by either charging a maximum fine equal to minimum salary earnings of 20 days or imposing 36 hours of community service.


And in an obvious nod towards the current negative political attitude towards undocumented immigrants in the United States, the new law in Mexico would allow for undocumented immigrants to be given a chance to legalize their situation. The legislation is now undergoing analysis in the Mexican Senate.


In the meantime, U.S. leaders continually insist in putting the immigration issue on the backburner. Luckily, some organizations have not.


In breaking with traditionally helping U.S. Latino communities through investments, California-based Hispanics in Philanthropy has awarded their first installment of a three-year $219,000 economic grant to expand a goat-cheese cooperative in Guanajuato, Mexico.


According to Diana Campoamor, president of the organization, helping expand businesses south of the border is part of a new movement in Northern California to address the root causes of illegal immigration by supplementing Mexican economic opportunities.


And thankfully it doesn't stop there. Recognizing how much businesses in both countries are interconnected, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, is overseeing an upcoming joint business development event in Mexico City for American and Mexican businesses.


Titled U.S. and Mexico: Building Partnerships in Infrastructure, the event is designed to educate businesses who want to bid on over 300 projects to be built in Mexico as part of President Calderon's National Infrastructure Plan.


Yet, these isolated efforts to help Mexico overcome their economy's shortcomings must be supplemented with a broader immigration reform initiative from the U.S. federal government.


It is our turn to craft policy on how to address this nation's undocumented immigrants.


Immigrants who applaud the turnaround happening in their native country so that relatives won't have to repeat their same perilous journeys, but who don't entertain the dream of returning to live in Mexico because of one simple reason -- the United States is their home.


Posted by Marisa Trevino at 4:48 PM | Print this article


"[Spot-On: Marisa Trevino] Recommendation: Solving Illegal Immigration Nation-to-Nation"




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Hi Richard. Do you have a source to that article by chance?

This woman's idea of a solution is for the Mexican government to legalize Central Americans who are living illegally in Mexico so that Mexican illegal aliens here ave better grounds for an argument. Truly she has no idea of what either the Mexicans or Americans are like. It is going to be difficult just to get the Mexican people and government to let the Central Americans illegal aliens transit through to the United States without being robbed and bullied.

Source for article: http://www.spot-on.com/archives/mtrevin ... l_imm.html

Yes, I understand and see your argument (and tend to agree, in case I haven't said that here already... )

As you have reminded us on previous occasions, it is best to deal with the poverty of people in our neighboring countries 'in place'. This minimizes dislocations, retains traditional family structure, keeps local economies in tact - but progressing at a sustainable rate in a sustainable way.

Conversely, large scale movements of people across national boundaries in a transient fashion creates many residual problems which both countries haven't yet fully considered.

Actually, in a world where the immigration problem was totally brought under control (I know, I know - that'll be a cold day in ....) I am quite open in giving foreign aid generously to source nations. But, being that TOTAL control is not likely anytime soon, then, it's a moot point.

Thanks ShockedInCA...

The real solution is for the Mexican Americans and their families to send their illegal alien relatives and friends back to Mexico and to start investing there. Mexico has a terrific potential but the time that it starts really taking off is when the Mexicans commit to it and stop violating the rights of American citizens. Mexico does not set it's immigration policy and laws to maximize benefits for the citizens of it's own neighbor to the south and neither should we.

Yep, totally agree Richard. (Thanks for posting the URL for the article too).

Have you invested much research/background in political development theories? I managed to be peppered with a few of those courses in undergrad school, and recall that Latin America was used often as the 'textbook' examples almost without exception. I'd be willing to wager you know about these in great detail (much better than I, as that was about 20 years ago too and a lot has changed since then also).

Phred,

An integral part of investment needs to be from the bottom up with average immigrants being a part of the investors. If the investment is government to government then it results in disproportionate benefit accruing to the politically connected. If the investment is corporate then the benefits accrue to thos with education and skills who are already well off. It requires all three forms for it to be spread over the population instead of Mexico's priveleged oligarchies.

To be fair, last year's bipartisan partnership forged among Senators John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Jon Kyle, and fully supported by President Bush, which resulted in the crafting of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a good start at addressing the issue.

DUH...WHAAAAAAAAAT??? I will never agreee with this biased statement.