Posted on 04/23/2005 10:36:44 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican lawmakers have proposed a bill to stop Mexicans from traveling to dangerous border areas, a measure some say is needed to save lives but others say violates the right of free movement and bows to U.S. interests.
For decades, Mexico has said its constitution prevents it from stopping its own citizens from migrating illegally to the United States. But the proposal challenges that tradition in a country that both relies on and regrets migration, that mourns migrant deaths but does little to prevent them.
Promoted as a humanitarian measure rather than a move to restrict migration, the bill has put Mexican legislators in the unusual position of receiving both praise from U.S. anti-immigration groups and criticism from pro-migrant activists.
"This bill will be very controversial. ... But I hope it can at least open a debate about Mexico's responsibility for the outflow of migrants," said Jorge Santibanez, president of Mexico's College of the Northern Border.
The measure has proved so sensitive that, even though it won approval in a Senate committee, the Interior Department asked its sponsor, Sen. Hector Osuna, to temporarily withdraw it Tuesday for some last-minute changes.
The department wants to specify that only police - not soldiers - can stop migrants; Osuna will resubmit the bill once those changes are made. "We can't just sit by with our arms crossed and wait for one more person to die," he said.
The bill would allow police or Mexico's migrant-protection agents to designate border areas as temporary "high-risk zones" and declare them off-limits to average citizens.
When high temperatures are forecast, for example, "patrols would go out, inform people of this, and take them to a safe place until it (the heat) is over," Osuna said. After that, the migrants are once again free to go where they wish.
"The analogy I use is what you see in the movies, when a person tries to commit suicide by jumping off a tall building," he said. "What does the government do? It tries to stop them."
Several hundred Mexican migrants die each year of heat stroke, drowning, dehydration or assaults at desert border crossings.
Osuna argues that both Article 11 of the constitution and civil defense laws have long allowed authorities to limit Mexicans' movements under certain circumstances. "There are a lot of places you aren't allowed to go," he said.
And Mexico already deports more than 200,000 undocumented migrants per year - mainly Central Americans - caught trying to reach the United States.
The bill passed the seven-member Senate Population and Development Commission unanimously in mid-April and was headed for debate on the floor of the Senate when migrant activists in the United States caught wind of it and began publicly criticizing it.
"It's useless to try to close the border from either side, the Mexican or U.S. side," said Claudia Smith, of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.
Those in favor of reducing migration to the United States disagree.
"It is heartening to see Mexican politicians turning their attention to the tragedy of Mexicans risking their lives to illegally cross into the United States," said Jack Martin, of the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform.
In Mexico, some have considered the bill tantamount to treason.
Aldolfo Aguilar Zinser, a former senator and national security adviser, said President Vicente Fox's conservative National Action Party, to which Osuna belongs, "wants to look as accommodating as possible to (U.S. President George W.) Bush."
"Mexico cannot do the United States' dirty work on this side of the border," said Zinser, who calls the bill "a very bad idea."
Such criticism stings Osuna.
"This is a humanitarian issue," he said. "We are not doing anybody's work for them."
Osuna added that while some Mexican news media "report this as if we're trying to seal the border, or stop migration, that's not the intention, and it's not even possible." Mexico walks a thin line on a lot of migration issues. It has asked the United States for more work visas for Mexicans, but has never offered to stop those who lack visas from crossing the border illegally.
It has published safety guides for migrants and defends migration as an economic and historical necessity, while officially claiming to discourage it.
And while Mexico has often pledged to crack down on migrant smugglers, the so-called "coyotes" still operate freely, openly recruiting clients at border bus stations.
Mexico has sometimes tried to demand U.S. citizenship for its migrants and criticized what it calls U.S. discrimination against them.
Some say Mexico has to start talking straighter, if it wants a migration agreement with its northern neighbor.
"(Mexico's) basic assumption that the United States ought to absorb all its excess labor is very dangerous for U.S.-Mexican relations," Zinser said. "It only ignites attitudes of fear and xenophobia."
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On the Net:
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation: http://www.crla.org/
Federation for American migration: http://www.fairus.org/
Gee, I wonder how mexico secures its own southern border.
Oh wait, they make it hard as hell to get in.
But we're evil if we want to do the same to protect our borders.
This kind of person really irks me. Cannot come up with a bright idea on their own, won't face the facts. The Minuteman Project has put the lie to this thinking. Now it's time for the organizations of government to step up.
>>Several hundred Mexican migrants die each year of heat stroke, drowning, dehydration or assaults at desert border crossings.<<
The Minuteman Project is the only reason this subject has come to the front. Mexico is losing a lot of money with the increased enforcement.
19 terrorists died on 9/11/01 while attacking the United States. What should their home countries do to make sure there isn't a repeat?
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re: defeatism or resignation to 'fate',, theory is these folks have a recessive FRench surrender monkey gene. ;-)
I'm proud of all the fine Minutemen folks and others that went to the border ,, that includes grannies in lawn chairs and regular Joe concerned citizens.
I agree with the Minutemen, but it's nuts to expect Mexico to keep people in by force, that's what the Commies did. Countries have the right to keep people out, they don't have a right to keep people in (except in cases of minors or lawbreakers whose movement they have the right to limit). A
n analogy is a person's home. ONe has a positive right to keep people out, One has no positive right to keep people in. Of coure Bill O'Reilly and Co. are too dumb to see this.
"Mexico has said its constitution prevents it from stopping its own citizens from migrating illegally to the United States."
That's because the Mexican government STILL does not
officially recognize the conditions set up under the
Gadsden Purchase. They took the money, but now want
the land they sold back! Interesting read found here:
http://www.barnesreview.org/The__Reconquista_-Mexico_s_Dre/the__reconquista_-mexico_s_dre.html
They are both hogwash!
Did I over look something like - maybe Mexico could provide good jobs for her people? Mexico is a wealthy nation as far as natural resources are concerned. You would think they could provide for their own.
first of all......what the HELL is a "mexican lawmaker" ????
The corrupt Mexican govt. vicously protects its own borders
from those who won't put graft into the protectors pockets naturally...
Those on this side of el Norte who protest the loudest about illegal aliens being stopped from invading....are anticipating some sort of personal gain..if one digs deep enough one will find it..and it flies in the face of 'Homeland Security" and the 'War on Terror'...
And more importantly US sovereignty..
imo
Senor Zinser objects to any reduction of the huge numbers of Mexico's poverty, disease, ignorance and dependence that are imported to America every year.
Apparently he is in complete agreement with our own government who also doesn't seem to want the numbers to decline. The majority of American citizens/taxpayers want it STOPPED COLD.
They must not be running for reelection, or this is a plan to send people to the least secured parts of the border.
There, fixed..
Well, maybe they could at least stop publishing pamphlets about how to enter and live in the US illegally.
Too bad the Mexican government does such a poor job running a country so rich with natural and intellectual resources.
They should be ashamed of themselves. Their citizens are voting with their feet. It's funny how the left ignores the fact that there aren't millions of Americans stampeding Mexico illegally for work and opportunity.
"Mexican lawmakers have proposed a bill to stop Mexicans from traveling to dangerous border areas, a measure some say is needed to save lives but others say violates the right of free movement and bows to U.S. interests. "
This is huge news. If Mexico starts discouraging, instead of encouraging illegal immigration into the US, that will be a great help -- then maybe they will start to enforce their border, and the combination of them securing their border and us securing ours, will basically eliminate illegal immigration.
Then a well regulated guest worker program will make sense.
While they try a lot harder to seal their southern border than we do, using their conscript army in fact, lots of illegals still get accross. We are kidding ourselves if we think we can seal the border and stop the flow of migrants entirel. We can cut it down, and we could cut the illegal flow a lot more by providing legal means for "guest workers". With such a program we could then put restrictions on the numbers and the "rights" of the migrants, by requiring them to acknowldge that they must return, have no right to free medical care, etc, etc, as a condition of the required permits.
We have Free medical care? Where? A emergency room visist does not count.
bingo!
this just sounds like a border escort service.. go rest in the shade for the day... maybe set up air-conditioned border safe house... then a midnight ride back to the border trails.... coyotes waiting.
i bet they will even get U.S. money to help with this "humanitarian" effort.
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