Thread: Mexican Government Leading Charge to Stop Border Legislation

This is a transcript from Lou Dobbs' program, December 13th:


DOBBS: Tonight, one of the boldest and most important efforts to secure our nation's borders is under attack. Legislation designed to tighten border security and to stop employers from hiring illegal aliens is scheduled to go to the House floor this week.

But some Americans determined to keep our borders wide open are now working with the Mexican government to fight that legislation. Casey Wian reports.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 171 pages but the goals of the Border Protection Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act are fairly simple.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All those in favor will say aye.

WIAN: Congressman James Sensenbrenner's bill would provide more manpower and resources for the Border Patrol and other immigration authorities. It would increase penalties for illegal alien smuggling, repeated illegal entries, and crimes committed by illegal aliens. And it would require all employers to verify the legal status of their workers.

Now the government of Mexico is leading a lobbying effort against the border security measure. Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Derbez says his government is "trying with great force to prevent" the bill from passing.

He is asking business, community, and religious groups to make themselves heard. In Los Angeles, illegal alien advocates answered his call with inflammatory rhetoric distorting the bill's potential impact.

ANN MARIE TALLMAN, MALDEF: It basically legislates discrimination in our country.

DANIEL HUANG, ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL CTR.: Racist immigration laws and policies systematically excluded Asians from entering the United States, for instance, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Today we see that same anti-immigrant sentiment.

REV. ERNESTO MEDINA, EPISCOPAL PROVOST: The term slave or slavery is one that now is difficult to say, and I dream of a time of when we, as a people together in this nation, will find the terms undocumented worker, or one who is illegal or whatever, comes out with the same kind of negative, you know, desire to put soap in one's mouth.

WIAN: Perhaps the soap should be reserved for those that equate border security and law enforcement with racism and slavery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The committee stands adjourned.

WIAN: The bill has been approved by the House Judiciary Committee and is likely to go before the full House this week.

(on camera): Committee staffers expect a wave of amendments designed to weaken the Sensenbrenner bill, but they still expect it will pass despite the disinformation campaign.

What our country needs is not the Sensenbrenner Bill it is Hunter-Goode

Of course, we need something tougher than the Sensenbrenner bill but what we REALLY NEED is for the MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO BUTT OUT. The Sensenbrenner bill is better than NOTHING and, if it's the best we can get right now, it seems like we should take it and be glad we got SOMETHING.

Vicente Fox is a complete moron. Get the heck out of our country.

George Bush TELL THEM. TELL THEM that they are running a completely corrupt government in Mexico and they WILL NOT place this in the lap of the American people.

TELL THEM !

And, a MANIACAL MORON at that. SHOO!!!! GIT!!!

Bootsie, I think the American people deserve a complete investigation into the internal operations of that country. (Mexico) For all we know Vicente Fox is as bad as Sadam Hussein or Fidel Castro. We deserve to know the truth about what is going on inside that country.

The American people have a right to know because of the effects it is having on our own country.

A lot of information needs to be recovered and layed out on the table for everyone to see.

George Bush should not even mention temporary wroker program, until an honest investigation of what is WRONG with that country is completed.

And don't put John McCain and Ted Kennedy in charge of it.

We need DETAILS.

We need to reverse the pressure which is being put on us, and put it where it belongs, which right on the government of Mexico.

Oh, Lord. Don't mention THAT to Bush. He'll decide to take us to war with Mexico next. Not that that would be a BAD thing but I would just prefer he put the troops on the border!

Not to worry, Boots. Haven't you noticed ? The Wackident is afraid of The President. Really afraid.

Just, joking, Mr. President of the USA.

I want to be home for Christmas !