Mexican standoff?
Friday, July 22, 2005
The only thing more disturbing than Jorge Castaneda's testimony about illegal immigration was the lack of outrage from the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Castaneda had been the Mexican foreign minister in the current Vicente Fox administration. He now is a New York University professor and independent candidate for president of Mexico.
Opponents of illegal immigration are incensed because Castaneda said the United States cannot secure its southern border without Mexico's blessing. And that it will not have Mexico's blessing until America agrees to a series of almost non-negotiable demands.
"Unless and until both governments bite the bullet and reach an understanding on an all-encompassing joint border security initiative, with adequate funding and infrastructure, the violence and criminal activity at the border will remain unabated," he told the senators. Unilateral measures relating to immigration that are adopted by the U.S. without consultation and agreement with Mexico are doomed to fail, he said.
"If there is no cooperation from the source country on either a guest worker program, or an earned regularization scheme, I cannot see how the U.S. on its own will be able to deal with the enormous operational complexities involved."
Castaneda's testimony of July 12 is available online at: http://foreign.senate.gov/
"They constantly talk of respect but they do not respect our borders at all," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "I am 100 percent certain he is articulating views publicly that Mexican officials hold privately.
"When will we wake up and smell the coffee? We are not obligated to absorb the people that they won't find jobs for in their own country."
Mr. Stein believes Mexico needs tough love for its own good.
Mexico's refusal to stop the stealth invasion of this republic by illegals harms Mexico. "They are encouraging motivated, hardworking, industrious people to leave," Stein said. "Those most likely to be productive are the ones encouraged to leave the country."
Castaneda cannot be blamed for saying what he did.
Blame the Bush administration as well as the bipartisan lack of resolve inside the Beltway to defend the border. If Castaneda "cannot see how the U.S. on its own will be able to deal with the enormous operational complexities involved" it is because he never has seen this republic try.
And the violence and criminal activity at the border will remain unabated because Mexico is incapable, unwilling or probably both to do anything about it.
The United States has done nothing to encourage another attitude. Mexico's arrogance about its right to populate the United States one illegal at a time can be directly traced to this nation's indifference.
Put the fear of God into Mexico about its attitude toward illegal immigration, spell out the consequences of refusing to respect this nation's sovereignty and stated immigration policy, and the problem is arrested before it reaches Arizona.
And as for those profiles in courage in the Senate, why didn't the senators speak up about Castaneda's outrageous comments?
Andy Fisher, the committee's press secretary, said "it is not in the nature of most of our committee members to yell at our witnesses."
Or even to speak above a whisper.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/print_355870.html
Friday, July 22, 2005
The only thing more disturbing than Jorge Castaneda's testimony about illegal immigration was the lack of outrage from the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Castaneda had been the Mexican foreign minister in the current Vicente Fox administration. He now is a New York University professor and independent candidate for president of Mexico.
Opponents of illegal immigration are incensed because Castaneda said the United States cannot secure its southern border without Mexico's blessing. And that it will not have Mexico's blessing until America agrees to a series of almost non-negotiable demands.
"Unless and until both governments bite the bullet and reach an understanding on an all-encompassing joint border security initiative, with adequate funding and infrastructure, the violence and criminal activity at the border will remain unabated," he told the senators. Unilateral measures relating to immigration that are adopted by the U.S. without consultation and agreement with Mexico are doomed to fail, he said.
"If there is no cooperation from the source country on either a guest worker program, or an earned regularization scheme, I cannot see how the U.S. on its own will be able to deal with the enormous operational complexities involved."
Castaneda's testimony of July 12 is available online at: http://foreign.senate.gov/
"They constantly talk of respect but they do not respect our borders at all," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "I am 100 percent certain he is articulating views publicly that Mexican officials hold privately.
"When will we wake up and smell the coffee? We are not obligated to absorb the people that they won't find jobs for in their own country."
Mr. Stein believes Mexico needs tough love for its own good.
Mexico's refusal to stop the stealth invasion of this republic by illegals harms Mexico. "They are encouraging motivated, hardworking, industrious people to leave," Stein said. "Those most likely to be productive are the ones encouraged to leave the country."
Castaneda cannot be blamed for saying what he did.
Blame the Bush administration as well as the bipartisan lack of resolve inside the Beltway to defend the border. If Castaneda "cannot see how the U.S. on its own will be able to deal with the enormous operational complexities involved" it is because he never has seen this republic try.
And the violence and criminal activity at the border will remain unabated because Mexico is incapable, unwilling or probably both to do anything about it.
The United States has done nothing to encourage another attitude. Mexico's arrogance about its right to populate the United States one illegal at a time can be directly traced to this nation's indifference.
Put the fear of God into Mexico about its attitude toward illegal immigration, spell out the consequences of refusing to respect this nation's sovereignty and stated immigration policy, and the problem is arrested before it reaches Arizona.
And as for those profiles in courage in the Senate, why didn't the senators speak up about Castaneda's outrageous comments?
Andy Fisher, the committee's press secretary, said "it is not in the nature of most of our committee members to yell at our witnesses."
Or even to speak above a whisper.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/print_355870.html
