Has President Bush taken the issues of immigration, drug-trafficking and President Chavez seriously enough?

Question

Bush to Meet With New Mexican President
By DEB RIECHMANN
AP
MERIDA, Mexico (March 13) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon has a tough message for President Bush : The United States must do more - "much more" - to solve thorny issues of drug-trafficking and immigration .

Bush's five-nation tour of Latin America is acting as a counterweight to Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's leftist leader who is carrying the flag for the leftward shift in Latin America. The Mexican leader has said he's not interested in being Bush's front man for battling Chavez' rising influence.

The biggest hurdle, Bush said, is figuring out what to do with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the United States. The president has proposed a guest worker plan that would allow legal employment for foreigners and give some illegals a shot at becoming American citizens. Critics say this rewards unlawful behavior.

"There will not be amnesty, automatic citizenship," Bush said Monday in Guatemala before a short flight to Mexico. "It's just not going to happen. Nor is it feasible to try to kick everybody out of our country. That's not possible. And so I'm going to work with members of both parties to find a rational middle ground."

Calderon has lambasted the U.S. decision to build the new border fence - a mix of physical barriers and high-tech virtual fencing. He likens it to the Berlin Wall, and argues that both countries need to improve Mexico's economy to lessen the desire to seek work in the United States.

Is President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela the next Fidel Castro in the region...?

Answer 1

Tuesday, May 2, 2006Mexican Immigration Laws I just cannot believe that illegal people even think they have rights to
oppose our government, to rally against us, or to demonstrate in public
their outcry for their needed justice. This just is not done, because
they are not citizens here. Now why isn't someone arresting
them right there on the spot as the illegals gather illegally? They
have made themselves known, as well as those who have aided them.

***SEE MEXICO'S LAWS BELOW AND YOU WILL SEE WHY I AM SO INDIGNANT WITH MY COMMENTS***

Mexico's Immigration By-Laws that regulate your admission and departure
from Mexico:
http://www.todossantos.cc/meximmig.html

Mexico's General Law of Population sets out the rights and obligations
of foreigners, as well as the different statuses associated with
foreign immigration:
http://www.mexperience.com/liveandwork/immigration.htm

***MEXICAN IMMIGRATION LAW***

Should we try MEXICO'S IMMIGRATION LAW?

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=138590

Mexico has a radical idea for a rational immigration policy that most
Americans would love.

...Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United
States does, has much to teach us about how to handle immigration;
under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien. As the
Supreme Court and politicians seek to bring U.S. law in line with
foreign legal norms, it's noteworthy that no one has argued that the
United States look at what Mexico might teach us about how to solve our
illegal-immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law,
seeking to ensure that foreign visitors and immigrants are: _ In the
country legally. _ Have the means to sustain themselves economically. _
Not destined to be burdens on society. _ Of economic and social benefit
to society. _ Of good character, with no criminal record. The law also
seeks to ensure that: _ Immigration authorities have a record of each
foreign visitor. _ Foreign visitors do not violate their visa status. _
Foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country's internal
politics. _ Foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are
imprisoned or deported. _ Foreign visitors violating terms of their
entry are imprisoned or deported. _ Anyone who aids in illegal
immigration is imprisoned. Who could disagree with such a law? The
Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens, and the
denial of many rights to non-citizens. The General Law on Population,
spelling out the country's immigration policy, should cause Americans
to ask: Why is our southern neighbor pushing us to water down our
immigration laws and policies when its own immigration restrictions are
the toughest on the continent? If a felony is a crime punishable by more
than a year in prison, Mexican law makes it a felony to be an illegal
alien in Mexico. Yet if the United States adopted such a law, Mexico
would no doubt denounce it as a manifestation of American bigotry.
Mexico's main immigration law welcomes only foreigners deemed useful to
Mexican society: _ Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to
their possibilities of contributing to national progress." (Article 32)
_ Immigration officials must "ensure (that) immigrants will be useful
elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for
their sustenance" and that of their dependents. (Article 34) _
Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence has upset
"the equilibrium of the national demographics," if they are deemed
detrimental to "economic or national interests," if they are not good
citizens in their own country, if they have broken Mexican laws, or if
"they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy." (Article 37)
_ The secretary of governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of
foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest."
(Article 38) Mexican authorities keep track of every person in the
country: _ Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with
federal immigration authorities upon request: i.e., help in the arrest
of illegal immigrants. (Article 73) _ A National Population Registry
tracks every "individual who comprises (sic) the population of the
country," verifying each individual's identity. (Articles 85 and 86) _
A national Catalogue of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and
immigrants (Article 87), assigning each a tracking number. (Article 91)
Foreigners with fake papers or who enter the country under false
pretenses may be imprisoned: _ Foreigners with fake immigration papers
may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116) _ Foreigners who sign
government documents "with a signature that is false or different from
that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment.
(Article 116) Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined,
deported, and/or imprisoned as felons: _ Foreigners who fail to obey a
deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117) _ Deported
foreigners who try to re-enter Mexico without authorization can be
imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118) _ Foreigners who violate
terms of their visa may be sentenced for up to six years in prison.
(Articles 119, 120, and 121) Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of
their visa (as by working without a permit) can also be imprisoned.
Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on
Population says: _ "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine
of 300 to 5,000 pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the
country illegally." (Article 123) _ Foreigners with immigration
problems may be deported, rather than imprisoned. (Article 125) _
Foreigners who "(make attempts) against national sovereignty or
security" will be deported. (Article 126) Mexicans who help illegal
aliens enter the country are considered criminals: _ A Mexican who
marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner
live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article
127) _ Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented
foreigners into Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

All of the above runs counter to what Mexican leaders are demanding
of the United States. The stark contrast between Mexico's immigration practices and its American-immigration preachings reveals the Mexican government's agenda: to have a one-way immigration relationship with the United States. Let's call Mexico's bluff on its interference in U.S.
immigration policy.

Let us propose, just to make a point, that North
American Free Trade Agreement member nations standardize their
immigration laws by using Mexico's law as a model.

(J. Michael Waller is a professor of international communication at the
Institute of World Politics in Washington.)

1 Comment
Fair and consistant imagrationIt would only be fair and understanding to adopt Mexico's policy on imigration. Keeping things similar would make it easier for everyone to know and understand the laws and rules.Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 02:52 PM

Answer 2

all talk and no action.