Posted on 01/02/2005 3:26:22 PM PST by wagglebee
The government of Mexico is raising eyebrows with a new comic book offering advice on how to cross the border into the U.S. illegally.
Called "The Guide for the Mexican Migrant," the 32-page book published by Mexico's Foreign Ministry uses simple language to offer information on safety, legal rights and living unobtrusively in America.
"This guide is intended to give you some practical advice that could be of use if you have made the difficult decision to seek new work opportunities outside your country," the book says, according to the Arizona Republic.
Illustrations depict illegals wading into a river, trying to evade U.S. Border Patrol and crouching near a hole in a border fence. Immigrants are also shown hiking through the desert with rock formations similar to those in Arizona and being caught by an American agent.
Among the tips offered:
"Try to walk during times when the heat is not as intense";
"Salt water helps you retain your body's liquids. Although you'll feel thirstier, if you drink water with salt the risk of dehydration is much lower";
"Thick clothing increases your weight when wet, and this makes it difficult to swim or float." It also says if migrants get lost, they should follow train tracks or power lines. It warns of walking for days to reach towns or roads in the desert.
If caught by Border Patrol, the book says, "Don't throw stones or objects at the officer or patrol vehicles because this is considered a provocation. Raise your hands slowly so they see you are unarmed."
It also recommends not running away from agents in pursuit.
"It's better to be detained a few hours and repatriated to Mexico than to get lost in the desert," the guide states.
The book includes a disclaimer stating it doesn't promote crossing the border illegally, but it doesn't give information about legal steps to seek a U.S. visa.
Immigration-control groups are not thrilled about the guide.
"This is more than just a wink and a nod," Rick Oltman, Western field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform told the Republic. "This is so transparent, this is the Mexican government trying to protect its most valuable export, which is illegal migrants."
John Vincent, with Virginia-based Americans for Immigration Control, said, "It really looks like the Mexican government is encouraging illegal immigration. It shows the contempt that the Mexican government has for our laws."
The Mexican consul general of Phoenix, Carlos Flores Vizcarra, said the reality is many migrants will try to cross the border illegally, and the book appears to be a means of protection.
"This is nothing new. It's a way to put it in very simple terms so people will understand the risks," he told the paper. "The intention is out of concern for human rights. People are doing it anyway. We cannot ignore that there is a very big migration between our two countries, and people who are coming to work need to understand the risks."
Humberto Morales, 22, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico now working as a day laborer in Phoenix, and says the guide seems to have a mixed message.
"On the one hand they seem to be saying, 'Don't cross,' but on the other hand they are saying, 'Cross.'"
I'm really starting to hate the government of Mexico. They need to be taking care of their own people, not "outsourcing' them here.
We need to take over Mexico. If everyone there wants to be American, we should just get it over with.
I would rather have rangers who would shoot first. After a month or so they would notice a scarcity of targets. And ammo is cheaper than repatriation process.
Yep, and it's Sam Houston's fault. He should have executed Santa Ana, his army, and taken all of Mexico.
Had he done so, the Panama Canal would be in Texas, where it belongs, and there would be no such thing as a Mexican.
We need to make them all want to leave.
"We need to make them all want to leave."
Leave here or leave Mexico?? LOL!
I am slack-jawed with amazement. The Mexican government is really getting bold, aren't they?
When will our government wake up and realize we are BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE????
We need regime change in Mexico.
Leave the USA.
We need to spread rumors of bad things happening here all the time to them.
Do round ups and create myths of tremendous amounts of roundups and confiscation of their money as fines.
ANYTHING to get them out.
We need to change and law, Federal or State that says we have to use tax payer money at $5,000 per illegal to educate these illegal children as well.
Amen brother, all they have is mafia families taking turns and keeping the country in poverty without a middle class.
Listen up, there in Washington, from the top on down!
In the Constitution that is described as treason!
I'm glad someone besides me remembers all the hype about NAFTA..."It's going to stop illegal immigration!!!!!""
Been there,done that.
But that's just me. No the same thoughts came to me here -
hmmmm, going hunting for peasants :-) very intresting thoughts + doing border/homeland security
Shure, I'm thinking of all those 'legal' illegals coming over here illegally to take American jobs and sending back 90% of their income and sucking out resources from America's health, social and educational systems.
THEY DONT CONTRIBUTE SO THEY DONT DESERVE TO COME HERE!!
Well considering the odds, they did pretty D well if you ask me. Pershing should have taken full control and declared it an new American territory while he was there.
Do they still have the law forbidding foreignors from owning property. Many many years ago, my in-laws wanted to buy a beach house in Baja. They couldn't , they had to get a lease for umpteen years. Property rights might make changes necessary.
The last I heard a foreigner could not buy property in Mexico. However, Mexicans or any foreigner does not have to be a citizen to buy property in the US.
yes we are such a holes aren't we?
That may be the only answer. You can be that the Mexicons are shooting anyone who dares come across thier southern border, and you probably never hear about it.
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