Bush Gives Mexico's Fox Concession on Borders

Reuters ^ | March 6, 2004

[sarcasm]

---

March 6, 2004

Bush Gives Mexico's Fox Concession on Borders

By REUTERS

Filed at 3:46 p.m. ET

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturday gave Mexican President Vicente Fox a concession on his push to ease border restrictions as the two leaders sought to rebuild a friendship soured by the Iraq war and shifts in U.S. foreign policy after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bush told Fox during a two-day meeting at his ranch that the United States will allow some Mexicans who travel frequently to the United States to bypass requirements that they be photographed and fingerprinted each time.

``We welcome the news that was confirmed today with regard to visitors to the U.S. from Mexico,'' Fox told reporters.

``We recognize the value to those who come the United States to work, to study, to contribute. And we appreciate what this will do to the flow of visitors now they will not have to be photographed or fingerprinted for short visits to the United States,'' he said.

The fingerprinting of visitors is part of tough new border restrictions the United States has put in place in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But the Bush administration is prepared to allow speedier crossings for those who plan to stay only a few days and will not venture far from the border. To be eligible, visitors must hold special cards that already have their fingerprint information imprinted on them.

``We're committed to doing this,'' said Sean McCormack, spokesman for the White House National Security Council. ``We still have to iron out the details.''

Despite the victory for Fox on that border issue, he is still a long way from achieving his long-held goal of persuading the United States to overhaul its policies on Mexican immigration.

Bush had pledged to work with Fox on that when he traveled to Fox's ranch in Mexico in early 2001 in his first trip outside the United States after becoming president.

MENDING FENCES

The two leaders struck up a strong rapport but drifted apart in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks when a crackdown on border security dealt a setback to Fox's hopes for much freer movement between the two countries.

The rift widened amid U.S. irritation at Mexico's refusal to support the Iraq war but in recent months Bush and Fox have been trying mend fences.

Bush in January unveiled a proposal to give undocumented aliens already living and working in the United States a chance to gain legal status by obtaining three-year work visas. Many of the estimated 8 million to 14 million illegal immigrants in the United States are from Mexico.

The plan would also give those outside the country a chance to seek temporary work here but the whole proposal is languishing in Congress.

Some lawmakers in Bush's own Republican party view it as an amnesty program for illegal aliens that will create new incentives for unlawful border crossings. Bush rejects that characterization, although he acknowledged he faces in winning over lawmakers.

``I certainly hope the Congress takes this issue up,'' Bush said when asked by a reporter when he thought the proposal might be enacted. ``There's no telling what's going to happen in an election year, so it's very difficult to give a date.''

Some Hispanic-American groups are also critical of Bush's proposal, because they believe election-year politics are one of the driving forces behind it and also because they would like to see the proposal go further to give immigrants already here an advantage in seeking permanent residency.

Bush is eager to court Hispanic voters, who lean heavily Democratic but represent an increasingly influential voting bloc.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Here's the full text of their news conference today: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2436826

It's just a coinkydink, but today is the 168th anniversary of the Alamo being stormed: http://www.thealamo.org/historicpast.html

A few notes on Bush's comments:
He continues to "mistakenly" state this is not an amnesty. And, he refers to illegal aliens as "undocumented."

His proposal will be open to "any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers..." How many American nurses are going to work for $10 an hour? I guess those $10/hour nursing positions will not be filled by Americans, and employers will just have to import foreigners to fill them.

The average Mexican immigrant costs $50,000 over his lifetime (taxes paid - services used). That's a transfer from other Americans to his employer. Bush says "The United States will benefit from the labor of hardworking immigrants." However, a better statement would be: "Some big corporations in the United States will benefit from the labor of hardworking immigrants."

Bush thinks these gastarbeiter will return home. But, they've got three years in which to have U.S. citizen children. If they have kids here, they aren't going to want to go home and it's going to be very difficult to force them to go home.

Bush says this will "live up to the highest ideals of free nations." Serf labor is not a very high ideal.

Sell it to someone else.

[Robert_Paulson2]

"Some MANY lawmakers in Bush's own Republican party view it as an amnesty program for illegal aliens that will create new incentives for unlawful border crossings..."

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Why the hell does the USA always give border concessions?

Congress must make a law which says the following:

Any unemployed American worker who finds an illegal alien in a job which the American is willing to do, the illegal will be immediately deported and the American given the job by the employer.

[jocko12]

BUSH THIS IS WRONG.

[TheSpottedOwl]

His proposal will be open to "any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers..." How many American nurses are going to work for $10 an hour? I guess those $10/hour nursing positions will not be filled by Americans, and employers will just have to import foreigners to fill them.

Boy I'm just jumping up and down, clapping my hands over this news. NOT!!!!

[TheSpottedOwl]

The rift widened amid U.S. irritation at Mexico's refusal to support the Iraq war but in recent months Bush and Fox have been trying mend fences.

I can think of a few fences America can mend. It's called the border...

[Batrachian]

This is not a concession in the sense that Bush gave away something that he wanted to keep, or did so reluctantly. It only looks like a concession to us, since we're interested in the integrity of our borders and our culture.

I would have doubts about the President's commitment to those matters if there was any doubt at all about what his policies are.

[contessa machiaveli]

has anyone ever seen a headline which says "vicente fox of mexico has made concessions on..........."

i haven't.

[Finalapproach29er]

Ignoring the will of the American people. Rush used to bleat on about Clinton doing this.

I wish he'd rip Bush for this.

[Dante3]

I feel betrayed by Bush. There are also Independents and Democrats who don't want illegal aliens running around the country. This will prevent some of them from voting for him.

[hoot2]

"He continues to "mistakenly" state this is not an amnesty. And, he refers to illegal aliens as "undocumented." "

bush is really tryin' to be a "one termer...", clueless

[Servant of the 9]

This only applies to people who have visas.
They have already been printed and photographed.
There are better ways to use the manpower this would need.

So9

[Mini-14]

I am strongly opposed to illegal immigration, and I don't see a requirement to be fingerprinted EACH time as a good thing. Suppose you made a trip to Canada four times a year to buy prescription drugs. Would you put up with having to be fingerprinted EACH time?

[COEXERJ145]

Finalapproach29er and Mini-14 seem to be the only two who realize what is actually happening.

This is only for people who have already obtained the visas that let them come across for work, school, etc. They've already gone through the process, been finger printed, and photographed. Making them do it every time would not only be a waste of time and manpower but would create total chaos at every border crossing.

[DumpsterDiver]

Here's the full text of their news conference today:

And here's a little background information for you:

Bush and Fox spoke at lecterns set up with a pastoral background. Both wore dark blue jeans, boots and big, shiny belt buckles, Fox's spelling out his name in capital letters.

Source

[Owen]

>
I am strongly opposed to illegal immigration, and I don't see a requirement to be fingerprinted EACH time as a good thing.
>

That sort of got my attention too. The text says "frequently", and I interpreted that as maybe going back and forth across the border to do business maybe 3-4 times a week. That seems reasonable to me. If someone is doing the traverse 3 times a week, it is absurd to fingerprint and photograph each time. Think what that would cost the taxpayer.

[Owen]

>

Congress must make a law which says the following:

Any unemployed American worker who finds an illegal alien in a job which the American is willing to do, the illegal will be immediately deported and the American given the job by the employer.
>

Sounds good, but let's add a phrase. . . . and the American worker who identifies the illegal must perform the specified job for the same pay for a minimum of one year. Failure to do so will yield a penalty of fine or jail or both. Leaving the job early voluntarily will trigger the specified penalties.

This makes it all a pure reality.

[oldfart]

If he's going to give concessions away, I'll take the Gatorade stand along the Arizona border.

[Cold Heat]

Bush is eager to court Hispanic voters, who lean heavily Democratic but represent an increasingly influential voting bloc.

LOL! Roto Rooter! Did he say that?