Thread: U.S., Mexican leaders to discuss immigration

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U.S., Mexican leaders to discuss immigration

Susan Carroll
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 24, 2006 12:00 AM

Four governors. Two Democrats and two Republicans. One giant issue.

Border-state Govs. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Texas Gov. Rick Perry join executives from Mexico's five border states at the U.S.-Mexico Border Governors Conference 2006 this week in Austin, Texas.

Although the agenda is littered with topics, it undoubtedly will focus on the Southwest's marquee issue: immigration.

And with all four border-state governors up for re-election in November, officials are looking to come out of the meeting with something tangible for constituents in their home states.


Napolitano's challengers targeting border issues


Republicans vying to challenge Janet Napolitano in the general election are hitting one issue hard: illegal immigration.

Napolitano, a Democrat, has taken major criticism for vetoing some immigration-related legislation passed by the Republican-led Legislature in recent years.

But Napolitano also has moved to silence conservative critics, calling on President Bush to put the National Guard on the border and setting up task forces at the state level to combat crime associated with illegal immigration.

Though Napolitano long maintained that securing the border was a federal responsibility, last August she followed New Mexico in declaring a state of emergency along Arizona's border. That funneled $1.5 million to local border governments. Still, a poll released this month by the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center found that state leaders were not trusted to come up with "immigration reform that works." Thirty-eight percent trusted Napolitano, 41 percent trusted the Legislature, and 21 percent trusted neither.

"I know her opposition is trying to make (illegal immigration) the main factor" in the upcoming election, said John Garcia, a University of Arizona political science professor. "But I think what I've seen in polls is that Arizonans are concerned about a broader range of issues than just immigration."


Schwarzenneger looking to aim for middle ground


Political strategists watching the California gubernatorial race say Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to play immigration as close to the middle as possible, for fear of losing either his conservative base or alienating Latino voters.

"He goes back and forth," said Louis DiSipio, a political science professor at the University of California - Irvine, "and I think he's going to be very cautious."

Schwarzenegger initially seemed reluctant to station the California National Guard on the border, a move many saw as responsive to the state's immigrant population. But the governor also grabbed headlines when he voiced support for the Minuteman Project.

His staffers said he plans to sign a comprehensive immigration reform resolution in Austin this week with the two Democratic governors. The governor, who immigrated to the U.S. from Austria, also has said he would support a guest-worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, roiling some members of his own party.

"I think he realizes that he can't take pro-unauthorized immigrant positions," DiSipio said. "But at the same time, he can't be too strongly aligned with them (border control conservatives), or he'll go the same direction as (former governor) Pete Wilson.

"He's playing it as close to the middle as he can," he said.


Immigration not an issue for Richardson, New Mexico


New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, grabbed headlines across the country last August when he declared a state of emergency along the state's southern border.

But the issue of illegal immigration so far hasn't really factored into his campaign against Republican John Dendahl, and political observers in New Mexico said it's not expected to be a major issue.



Going in the November elections, Richardson's popularity is high, and he has "hordes" of money for the campaign, said Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. His Republican challenger, Dendahl, was a latecomer to he race. But while Republicans across the country are pushing for greater restrictions on illegal immigration, the issue may not have much sway in New Mexico. New Mexicans do not typically seem to put illegal immigration at the top of their lists of concerns, Atkeson said.

"We're very unique that way as a border state," she said. "It doesn't get the kind of ground you get in Arizona . . . or in Texas. It does not have that same emotional impact."

Richardson, like Napolitano, is supportive of a guest-worker program and path toward citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.


Texas' Perry may be holdout on immigration accord


When it comes time to talk immigration at the Border Governors Conference, Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry may be the lone holdout at the table, political insiders said.

The other three border governors are supporting a draft resolution that calls for a guest-worker program and bringing undocumented immigrants "out of the shadows," but without necessarily guaranteeing a path toward citizenship.

Meanwhile, Perry has played it conservatively. Spokeswoman Kathy Walt said: "Governor Perry believes the top priority of the Border Governors Conference must be securing our border from drug trafficking, human smuggling and the illegal activities of criminal enterprises and terrorist organizations."

Perry has positioned himself as tough on border crime going into a four-way race against two Independents and a Democrat. "In terms of the criminal activity along the border, he's not going to wait for Washington to act," Walt said.

But Perry has taken heat from Republicans for supporting a guest-worker program, also favored by President Bush, and by opposing a fence along portions of the Southwest border. Instead, Perry favors a "virtual fence," which relies more on cameras and sensors than an actual barrier.

"My hunch is that Perry's primary emphasis is on border security," said John Garcia, a University of Arizona political science professor. "The main constraint would be that he doesn't want to alienate his base."

http://www.dallasnews.com

Border governors can make case for solution

07:42 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 23, 2006


There's no way that the border governors who are meeting in Austin tomorrow can tell Congress – the House in particular – how to solve the nation's immigration problem. Congress, being Congress, marches to its own tune. Just look at the House holding even more hearings on immigration this month.

But Govs. Rick Perry, Janet Napolitano, Bill Richardson and Arnold Schwarzenegger can suggest – in the strongest possible terms – that Congress get going after Labor Day and finally pass a bill. As the leaders of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, respectively, they are unique among governors in that Mexico is at their doorstep.

Because of the flow of immigrants from and through that country, these governors live daily with the repercussions of our current system. They bolster local police departments, provide schools for the children of illegal immigrants and deal with Minutemen patrols along their borders.

For that reason, the governors should use their gathering to signal to Washington that it's time for a realistic immigration solution. Not next year. Now. Certainly, before year's end. The Band-Aids they are applying in their states can hold up only so long.

The governors don't even have to completely agree on a single solution – although a good starting point would be Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' statement to our editorial board Monday that border security alone doesn't solve the problem of 12 million illegal immigrants. Washington also needs to create a guest worker plan and a pathway to citizenship for some of them.

All the governors need to do is issue a statement that strongly urges both houses to get down to negotiating a final bill. Their voice would be heard, given that the four governors come from both parties. (Washington certainly listened when governors opined in the 1990s that they had done all they could and needed help fixing welfare.)

Govs. Perry, Napolitano, Richardson and Schwarzenegger now have their own chance to get Washington's attention. And, as border governors, they have a platform. They should use it – for the good of their states and the nation.

Schwarzenneger looking to aim for middle ground

Riding that fence. Hope there's someone around to get the splinters out!

What's there to discuss? How about one of these clowns tell Mexico, this is how it's going to be, we are going to secure our borders, built a fence, deport your criminal citizens and throw the bum employers in jail and if you don't like it, you can not only take a flying leap, but you can forget about ever receiving another dollar in foreign aide or trade again? What's so hard about that? All it takes is some backbone. These bums care more about getting elected then they do their own country.

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=5322477&nav=0s3d

Demonstrators To Protest Border Governor's Conference

Aug 24, 2006 11:44 AM PDT

Several demonstrators will gather around the State Capitol Thursday to protest the Border Governor's Conference.

Ten governors from border states in the United States and Mexico will meet in Austin Thursday to discuss things like trade, security and illegal immigration.

Right now, National Guard troops are assisting border patrol agents in curbing illegal immigration.

However, local activists say it's more than just assisting; it's intimidation.

"We believe some fundamental first steps are: one, to get rid of immediately the National Guard on the border. That has done nothing but intimidate border communities both on the U.S. and Mexico side," said activist Thomás Garduño.

Several activists plan to rally at the capitol. The conference begins at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

All it takes is some backbone. These bums care more about getting elected then they do their own country.

That really hurts doesn't it? Appeasing everyone, pleases no one.

I cannot believe that we even need to think about discussing anything w/ Mexico. COWARDS!!!
Let's build the damn fence and send them the following memo: (as they weren't invited to the meeting anyway)

DEAR MEXICO, WE'RE TIRED OF YOUR HUNGRY, YOUR POOR, AND YOUR GANG SCUM.
WE'RE TIRED OF PAYING FOR YOUR MEDICAL BILLS, AND YOUR ANCHOR BABIES.
HERE IS OUR NEW BORDER. DON'T LIKE IT? TOUGH! GET OVER IT.
IF YOU WANT TO BECOME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, GET IN LINE, AND START LEARNING ENGLISH, AS THERE WILL BE NO MORE NUMBER 2 OPTION IN AUTOMATED NUMBERS.