Posted on 04/16/2006 9:22:53 AM PDT by Racehorse
The display of the Mexican flag in recent immigration demonstrations is, to me and many of my fellow Americans, disturbing, annoying and unpatriotic.
A short history fact: Mexico was soundly defeated, fair and square in open combat, by United States military forces in 1846-1848. Therefore, on former Mexican territories the Mexican flag comes down and the American flag goes up — period.
It appears to me, and surely millions of my fellow Americans, that patriotism may be becoming a greater issue than immigration reform.
—Frank Castillo Jr., Eagle Pass
The immigration debate has sparked controversy about border security and illegal entry. The discussion is good, and the dialogue will be useful in defining the problem and looking for reasonable solutions.
That said, the tired old commentary about the Southwest United States being "occupied Mexico" does nothing to enlighten the debate and instead creates more acrimony and anger. No Mexican government has repudiated the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and none is likely to take that action.
Whatever the merits and motives of the U.S.-Mexican War, American armed forces scored an unprecedented number of victories against a superior force, fighting on its own territory with the huge advantage of interior lines of supply and communication.
Santa Anna, the self-styled "Napoleon of the West," was a vain, egotistical incompetent whose stupidity negated the fighting qualities of his troops, who were well-trained and equipped.
Had the Americans been repulsed at Vera Cruz and Buena Vista, there would have been no battle in Mexico City and no American victory.
—Howard Cooper
There are immigration protesters who basically want to legalize the status of those here illegally. There are advocates who want stricter laws and more stringent enforcement of those already in place. Neither side wants to give an inch.
So why do we not simply take the Mexican law on illegal immigration into Mexico and make it the law of our land?
The Supreme Court had admitted considering foreign laws in rendering decisions. No one could argue or protest, as it would be the law of the land of both nations.
Presidents Bush and Fox could agree on the "closeness of our nations." The protesters could claim victory, as a Mexican law would now also be an American law, and the anti-immigration groups would have a law that affects both countries. Everyone would be a winner.
—Ken Glisczinski, Universal City
If you walk into your bathroom, discover someone has allowed the tub to overflow and the floor is flooded, what do you do first? There's a mop and bucket handy, and the chain for the bathtub's plug is in easy reach.
The first thing you do is turn off the tap! Then you pull the plug to allow the tub to drain. The last thing you do is grab the mop and bucket and start mopping up the overflow.
Now apply this to illegal immigration. The first thing this country needs to do — in fact, we must do or anything else we do will have no real effect — is turn off the tap. Until the borders are effectively sealed against illegal immigrants, regardless of where they're coming from, any other measures will have no effect.
Right now we're mopping the floor while the tap is running.
—C.F. Eckhardt, Seguin
C.F. Eckhardt, Seguin
Good analogy!
And it hit home today, with company coming our washmachine overflowed and yes we mopped up and shut off the flow, not to do that would mean disaster.
(will call repairman tomorrow):)
Who is the repairman we can call to stop the other overflow?
ping
Right now we're mopping the floor while the tap is running.
Thank you, C.F. Eckhardt of Seguin
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
MEXICAN AND AMERICAN BISHOPS HAVE BEEN QUITE SPOKEN FAVORING THE ILLEGAL INMIGRATION TO THE EE.UU., BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY NEVER CONDEMNED THE MEXICAN SEVERE IMMIGRATION LAWS, MUCH LESS THEY NEVER DARED TO CHALLENGE THE MEXICAN CATHOLICS TO VIOLATE MEXICAN IMMIGRATION LAWS.
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home
By J. Michael Waller
Mexico has a radical idea for a rational immigration policy that most Americans would love. However, Mexican officials haven’t been sharing that idea with us as they press for our Congress to adopt the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill.
That’s too bad, because Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue.
Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.
At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it’s noteworthy that nobody has argued that the US look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solve our illegal immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures 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 and have no criminal records; and
• contributors to the general well-being of the nation.
The law also ensures 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 the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;
• those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.
Who could disagree with such a law? It makes perfect sense. The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens – and the denial of many fundamental rights to noncitizens, illegal and illegal. Under the constitution, the Ley General de Población, or General Law on Population, spells out specifically the country’s immigration policy.
It is an interesting law – and one that should cause us all to ask, Why is our great
southern neighbor pushing us to water down our own 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 one year in prison, then Mexican law makes it a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.
If the United States adopted such statutes, Mexico no doubt would denounce it as a manifestation of American racism and bigotry.
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home 2
We looked at the immigration provisions of the Mexican constitution.[1] Now let’s look at Mexico’s main immigration law.
Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be 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 for
their dependents. (Article 34)
• Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the
equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed
detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like
good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and
when “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 must keep track of every single person in the country:
• Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration
authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article
73)
• A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual who
comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity.
(Articles 85 and 86)
• A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article
87), and assigns each individual with a unique 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)
• Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country
without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home 3
• Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico – such as working with out 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 three hundred to five
thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country
illegally.” (Article 123)
• Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico
instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)
• Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will be
deported. (Article 126)
Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:
• 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 contrary to what Mexican leaders are demanding of the United States. The stark contrast between Mexico’s immigration practices versus its American immigration preachings is telling. It gives a clear picture of the Mexican government’s agenda: to have a one-way immigration relationship with the United States.
Let’s call Mexico’s bluff on its unwarranted interference in U.S. immigration policy.
Let’s propose, just to make a point, that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member nations standardize their immigration laws by using Mexico’s own law as a model.
[1] “Mexico’s Glass House,” Center for Security Policy Occasional Paper, April 3, 2006.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
MEXICAN AND AMERICAN BISHOPS HAVE BEEN QUITE SPOKEN FAVORING THE ILLEGAL INMIGRATION TO THE EE.UU., BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY NEVER CONDEMNED THE MEXICAN SEVERE IMMIGRATION LAWS, MUCH LESS THEY NEVER DARED TO CHALLENGE THE MEXICAN CATHOLICS TO VIOLATE MEXICAN IMMIGRATION LAWS.
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home
By J. Michael Waller
Mexico has a radical idea for a rational immigration policy that most Americans would love. However, Mexican officials haven’t been sharing that idea with us as they press for our Congress to adopt the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill.
That’s too bad, because Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue.
Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.
At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it’s noteworthy that nobody has argued that the US look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solve our illegal immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures 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 and have no criminal records; and
• contributors to the general well-being of the nation.
The law also ensures 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 the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;
• those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.
Who could disagree with such a law? It makes perfect sense. The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens – and the denial of many fundamental rights to noncitizens, illegal and illegal. Under the constitution, the Ley General de Población, or General Law on Population, spells out specifically the country’s immigration policy.
It is an interesting law – and one that should cause us all to ask, Why is our great
southern neighbor pushing us to water down our own 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 one year in prison, then Mexican law makes it a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.
If the United States adopted such statutes, Mexico no doubt would denounce it as a manifestation of American racism and bigotry.
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home 2
We looked at the immigration provisions of the Mexican constitution.[1] Now let’s look at Mexico’s main immigration law.
Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be 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 for
their dependents. (Article 34)
• Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the
equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed
detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like
good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and
when “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 must keep track of every single person in the country:
• Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration
authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article
73)
• A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual who
comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity.
(Articles 85 and 86)
• A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article
87), and assigns each individual with a unique 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)
• Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country
without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)
Mexico’s Immigration Law: Let’s Try it Here at Home 3
• Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico – such as working with out 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 three hundred to five
thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country
illegally.” (Article 123)
• Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico
instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)
• Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will be
deported. (Article 126)
Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:
• 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 contrary to what Mexican leaders are demanding of the United States. The stark contrast between Mexico’s immigration practices versus its American immigration preachings is telling. It gives a clear picture of the Mexican government’s agenda: to have a one-way immigration relationship with the United States.
Let’s call Mexico’s bluff on its unwarranted interference in U.S. immigration policy.
Let’s propose, just to make a point, that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member nations standardize their immigration laws by using Mexico’s own law as a model.
[1] “Mexico’s Glass House,” Center for Security Policy Occasional Paper, April 3, 2006.
Ping
Mexican hypocrisy, American stupidity for buying into the amnesty/guestworker proposals being shoved down our throats.
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