Thread: Vicente Fox Dictates OUR Immigration Policy

Below is a transcript from Lou Dobbs program--December 26th:

As 2005 ends, relations between Mexico and the United States are getting worse by the minute. Mexican President Vicente Fox has over the past year tried to dictate our national immigration policy.

PILGRIM (voice over): The war of words with Mexico appears to have hit a low point. President Vicente Fox has spent the past week attacking the plan which includes a proposal to build a 700-mile fence along the border. Foreign Luis Ernesto Derbez has condemned the bill as "stupid and underhanded."

U.S. officials tried unsuccessfully to keep relations on a cordial basis, inviting the Mexican president to the ranch in Crawford, Texas, on March 23. And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice making a tour also that month.

But Mexico pushed its advantage on the issue, gaining billions in remittances from Mexican workers in the United States.

VICENTE FOX, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There's no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States.

PILGRIM: Already, Mexico is airing radio ads urging workers injured on the job in the United States to sue. And it's lobbying religious, business and community leaders in the United States to influence domestic policy on immigration.

President Fox has long been casual about the legality of Mexican workers in the United States. Fox has even hired a U.S.-based P.R. firm that tries to spin the issue of illegal immigration saying this country always welcomed immigrants. ROB ALLYN, ALLYN & CO.: These folks are pioneers who are coming in search of a better life. And the idea is to put the Statue of Liberty out there welcoming those workers, not erect a wall.

PILGRIM: But that argument makes no distinction between legal and illegal immigrants.

PILGRIM: Well, my next guest says President Fox has it all wrong. He says a border fence is crucial to our nation's national security and safety.

Former INS special agent Michael Cutler joins me tonight, and he's currently a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.

And Michael, thanks for joining us.

MICHAEL CUTLER, FMR. INS SPECIAL AGENT: Happy to be here.

PILGRIM: Let's start with Vicente Fox's comments. What do you make of this sort of diatribe that goes on south of our border? And, in fact, it's incumbent upon Mexico to help us with this, isn't it?

CUTLER: You would think, but then again, look at how much money that they're getting by having their people come to the United States. You know, I think the most valuable export that Mexico has are its people that they send north to get jobs in the United States. From what I read last year, something on the order of $20 billion was wired back into Mexico from illegal aliens working in the United States.

So I'm not shocked that he's upset about it.

PILGRIM: They're desperately dependent on these remittances, as you point out, for workers to be sending money back to Mexico. It does boost their GDP, it does help their economy. And yet, you could -- you could possibly see someone being a little bit more conciliatory when they're that dependent on the United States.

Do you see President Fox doing this for political gain?

CUTLER: Well, I think he's playing to the audience, although I don't believe he's going to be able to run for re-election. But I think it's the message that his people want to hear, but it's also a way of distracting his own citizens from the real issue.

CUTLER: But I think it's the message that his people want to hear, but it's also a way of distracting his own citizens from the real issue. The question is why would a country that's rated as being either the sixth or seventh wealthiest nation on the face of the earth have to send their people to their neighboring country to have a decent future, when that future should be provided for them within their own borders?

And the thing that's very disturbing to me is that our own government doesn't take issue with President Fox. You know, the president of the United States, George Bush, keeps saying we're fighting the terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them over here. Meanwhile, he's implemented a program of surveillances and wiretaps here in the United States. Obviously, terrorists are here.

It begs the question how did they get here? Well, their arrived either by crossing the Mexican border, the Canadian border or they arrived through the various ports of entry, and we're not dealing with any of these issues.

So I think that Vicente Fox is probably also emboldened by the lack of response by our own government.

PILGRIM: How worried are you that Mexico could become a corridor for terrorists to move through? Because it's no secret that this board is unprotected?

CUTLER: Well, the border has been rewritten with invisible ink, and I'm petrified not only about the Mexican border. I worry about the Canadian border. I worry about all areas of access to our country.

You know, we know that right now in South America there are terrorists training in Brazil in an area called the Three Corners region. We know that there's millions of Muslims who live in Brazil. Now, that's not to say that all Muslims are bad guys, but I do worry about radical Islam.

So we are certainly at risk, and we know that the president of Venezuela is not our friend. We know that there's been an election in Bolivia with the president who describes himself as America's worst nightmare.

PILGRIM: Do you think that this will get worse in light of anti- American movement in Latin America? It's starting to gain some ground, especially the Bolivian elections just recently. Hugo Chavez applauding President Fox when he said the border was stupid. They are former adversaries that have now reconciled to excoriate the United States on the border issue?

CUTLER: Well, it seems like my enemy of my enemy is my friend, you know. They both decided they don't like the United States, and I think it would give them opportunities to do harm to us.

And you know, look at the problem we have with Bolivia. It's a major source country for cocaine. And the president of Bolivia was involved with the coca crops, and his attitude has been now, hey, the United States has a problem with cocaine, let them not use it. So I don't think he's going to do much to help us with our efforts to eradicate the presence of cocaine within our borders. And we know that drugs helps to fund terrorism.

So of course, from many levels, our lack to secure our borders imperils the safety of our country.

PILGRIM: You know, you bring up a very interesting point. It's blame the consumer, and in this case it's the United States, that the drugs end up in the United States. They blame U.S. consumer for causing the problem. They blame U.S. businesses for causing the illegal immigration.

There is definitely a tone of blame the consumer of illicit products, whether they be illegal aliens or cocaine. Do you think that this is clearly not a legitimate defense of not -- of letting lawlessness pervade your country?

CUTLER: No, the blame game is a great way to deflect criticism. Of course, we should do more, I guess, to end the demand for drugs in our country. But if you look at economic situation, the South American countries involved with the drug trade find that this is a major source of revenue. Just as they find having their people come to the United States to work is a major source of revenue.

They're driven by profit, and we're driven -- our country appears to be driven by the greed of big business, aided and abetted by our government when it refuses to take a strong stand on the issue. The borders have to be secured. That's the bottom line.

PILGRIM: Michael, you've been in this a long time. What do you see in terms of legislation moving forward that might help this problem?

CUTLER: Well, I think that Mr. Sensenbrenner's border bill is a great step in the right direction. But it's only the first of many steps. Not only do we need to secure the border; we need to restore integrity to the immigration system.

We hear talk about a guest worker program. That would be exactly the wrong thing to do. We would wind up in a situation where undocumented aliens would show up at immigration offices and ask for guest worker identity documents which would enable terrorists to circumvent no fly lists and other watch lists.

What we really need is comprehensive reform but not meaning what it does now, guest worker. It means that the system needs to have integrity, that we need enough people at the border, enough inspectors at the airports. It won't be cheap but the situation now is far more costly and far more risky to the future of our country. And I think the politicians are starting to get it.

And you know, I just saw an article where they say Tom Tancredo is gaining new respectability in Washington. He was the firebrand, as we all know, who started this whole thing. And finally, I think he's starting to gain traction, as they say in Washington, and I'm encouraged by it.

PILGRIM: We certainly applaud your tireless effort to bring this subject to the floor of the American debate. Thank you very much, Michael Cutler.

CUTLER: As always, thank you for having me.

Code:

And you know, I just saw an article where they say Tom Tancredo is gaining new respectability in Washington. He was the firebrand, as we all know, who started this whole thing. And finally, I think he's starting to gain traction, as they say in Washington, and I'm encouraged by it.

GO TOM!!

This is outstanding!!!!!!

I was REALLY THRILLED when I heard that part!!! Maybe SOMEBODY WILL HEAR HIM.

Maybe Bush should hire a PR firm telling Americans who have been injured, raped, molested, assaulted, robbed, or had their property stolen or vandalized, etc. by an illegal Mexican to call them so then they can sue as well. And when Americans who go to Mexico to visit and end up getting robbed, raped or shaken down by Mexican police officers, as often happens to U.S. tourists in Tijuana, they can sue the Mexican govt. Just a thought.

And, an excellent thought at that! Oh no--WE couldn't do THAT! That would be called FRIVOLOUS lawsuits.

George Bush is a major wimp. He sends US to fight the war, he leaves it to US to speak out, when speaking out is needed. WHAT is he doing ?

If he lets this go on, his ratings are going to fall very fast next week.
If there's one thing the American people cannot tolerate it's a wimp in the White House.

I have a feeling Laura is now running the country. Seriously.

Tancredo 2008

Naw--SHE would do a much better job. She IS a woman, after all!!

And, he's down in Crawford now so maybe Vicente will hop across and spend some "quality time" with this amigo!

I know, BUT I could imagine her saying, "George, don't say anything mean that you wouldn't want someone else to say to you!"

Yes, she's a woman and it would be good if a man could be more like a woman !! HOWEVER, with Hillary out there I'm not going to promote a woman for president right now. Maybe next time, when such a dangerous woman isn't trying to become president.

After GWB...can you imagine having Hillary ?

I'll stick with Tancredo 2008.

I am so delighted that the Times is writing a favorable article about Tancredo...that he is finally getting the respect that he deserves for trying so hard for so long to save our country from the globalists.

Hopefully we'll see Tancredo running for president...I could vote for him..
I could also vote for Rep. Ron Paul..a strict constitutionalist.

RR

Can't imagine Hillary. Can't imagine CONDI. Wouldn't vote for EITHER.