Thread: Mexico to lobby hard for immigration reform

Ambassador: Mexico to lobby hard for immigration reform
Posted 2/20/2007 7:57 PM ET
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Determined to secure a migration accord, Mexico plans to begin an aggressive lobbying effort similar to its push to join the North American Free Trade Agreement, the country's new ambassador to the United States said Tuesday.

Mexican consulates in the United States will be on the front lines of the effort, and will talk with state and federal lawmakers, business chambers, civic organizations and "all actors of U.S. society" who support a comprehensive immigration reform, Arturo Sarukhan said.

"There are few matters so important to the future of this country," Sarukhan told reporters in Mexico City before departing for Washington.

The ambassador said Mexico has a brief window before campaigning begins in for the 2008 U.S. presidential election to convince Washington to approve immigration reforms.

"We are going to put into place the same kind of diplomatic and lobbying effort that we did in the early 1990s when NAFTA was being decided," said Sarukhan, who was consul general in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and a campaign adviser to Calderon.

Mexico wants Washington to usher through reforms to create a guest worker program, provide a legal path for millions of Mexicans living in the United States and allow for the reunification of families split by immigration laws.

President George W. Bush supports giving Mexican migrants temporary work visas. But he has failed to win support in Congress. Prior to November's congressional elections, a Republican-led Congress favored increasing security and building border walls to prevent illegal immigration.

Sarukhan expressed "cautious optimism" Tuesday about the new U.S. Congress dominated by Democrats and said Mexico wants to move the debate away from security, which he said immigration reform opponents used to put the brakes on the issue.

"Migrants are not criminals nor a threat to the security of the U.S.," he said. "The thinking that walls must be built to detain the flow of migrants because that flow threatens security is wrong."

Migration is expected to be a key topic when Bush meets with President Felipe Calderon in Mexico next month as part of his Latin American tour.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox campaigned hard but unsuccessfully for a new U.S. guest worker program for Mexicans during his six-year term, frustrating many Mexicans.

Sarukhan said Calderon's government would be "intelligent and careful" in its campaign "to not generate unrealistic expectations about what we can and cannot accomplish."

He said the government's lobbying effort would not overshadow its promise to speak out to protect the rights of Mexicans living in the United States, which he said "forms the backbone of our diplomacy in the U.S."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...igration_x.htm

Here's Schlussel's weigh in on this story:

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archi...ur_congre.html

February 21, 2007
Are Your Congressman & Senators on the Take From Mexico's Amnesty Lobbyists?

By Debbie Schlussel

Associated Press reports that Mexico is doing a full court press--"aggressive lobbying"--to try to get Congress to pass immigration amnesty for illegal aliens.

The country has hired lobbyists and is going the distance in trying to push your Congressman and Senators to support amnesty for illegals.

Although Congress recently passed laws prohibiting Jack Abramoff-style lunches, trips abroad, and other goodies, there's a giant loophole around it. The New York Times recently reported that Congressmen--like Hezbollah supporter Darrell Issa (R-California) a/k/a "Jihad Darrell" are now having lobbyists pay thousands into their campaign funds and Political Action Committees--for the same Abramoff-style goodies. Issa got lobbyists to pay at least $1,000 a pop to "accompany" him to a "The Who" concert.
smallermexicanflag3.jpg
Are Your Congressman & Senators
Being Paid Off By Mexican Amnesty Lobbyists?

So, the question is, how much are your Congressman and Senators getting from Mexico's lobbyists? You may want to closely pore over his/her campaign committee and PAC to find out. But it won't be easy because one needs to know who Mexico's lobbyists are in order to find out where they are giving. We will need to find out who is registered as a foreign agent--as required by law--for Mexico.

It will also be interesting to see which lobbyists Mexico hires for these efforts. Money launderer, pan-Islamist, and all-around BS artist Grover Norquist has repeatedly pushed the open borders crap. Since he's known to always be for sale, don't count this man--who should be behind bars for illegally laundering and obtaining tax deductions for Jack Abramoff's clients (because he's best buddies with Karl Rove he gets protected from federal prosecution)--out of the lobbying for the sell-out of America and its borders.

Wouldn't be surprised if he's already on the take. He needs to keep his Palestinian Muslim wife-beard--oops, I mean he has a beard and is married to a Palestinian Muslim wife (for whom he secured a cush Bush Admin job)--in Prada.

And just how much is Mexico willing to spend to throw more of its illegal aliens onto the backs of U.S. taxpayers? We don't know yet. But keep watching those reports. A good source is Open Secrets, which tracks full info on donors to campaigns and PACS and the candidate and PAC recipients.

More details from the AP story:

Determined to secure a migration accord, Mexico plans to begin an aggressive lobbying effort similar to its push to join the North American Free Trade Agreement, the country's new ambassador to the United States said Tuesday.

Mexican consulates in the United States will be on the front lines of the effort, and will talk with state and federal lawmakers, business chambers, civic organizations and "all actors of U.S. society" who support a comprehensive immigration reform, Arturo Sarukhan said.

"There are few matters so important to the future of this country," Sarukhan told reporters in Mexico City before departing for Washington.

The ambassador said Mexico has a brief window before campaigning begins in for the 2008 U.S. presidential election to convince Washington to approve immigration reforms.

"We are going to put into place the same kind of diplomatic and lobbying effort that we did in the early 1990s when NAFTA was being decided," said Sarukhan, who was consul general in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and a campaign adviser to Calderon.

Mexico wants Washington to usher through reforms to create a guest worker program, provide a legal path for millions of Mexicans living in the United States and allow for the reunification of families split by immigration laws.

Thanks to reader Carolyn for the tip. She asked:

Is there anyway to find out what perks our wonderful Congressmen are getting from these Mexican lobbyists?

Like I said, it won't be easy to find out, but it is possible.

Posted by Debbie at February 21, 2007 09:50 AM

I dont want ANYONE FROM MEXICO putting the noses in our affairs!
MEXICO- MIND YOUR OWN FREAKIN BUSINESS!

I find it nauseating that America would even consider working with lobbyists from a third world country.

I'm trying to find out who's (who reps the Mexican Government) and who's being lobbyied in the Senate. Anybody with any ideas on how to get this info. (already checked at the site Debbie mentioned and emailed them, too)