Posted on 08/16/2005 6:53:53 PM PDT by Happy2BMe
Mexico's Fox protests as second US state closes border
Arizona ignored pleas for greater cooperation from Mexican President Vicente Fox to become the second US state to declare a state of emergency on its border due to rising illegal immigration, violence and smuggling.
Four days after New Mexico declared a 90 day state of emergency for border areas, Arizona did the same for its four counties on the Mexican frontier, citing uncontrolled illegal immigration.
"The federal government has to secure our border, and the health and safety of all Arizonans is threatened daily by violent gangs, coyotes (human traffickers) and other dangerous criminals," said Arizona governor Janet Napolitano in a statement.
"I intend to take every action feasible to stem the tide of criminal behavior on the Arizona side of the border," she said.
Napolitano explained her decision based on statistics showing that illegal crossings on US borders are as high as three million every year, and that as many as 700,000 new unauthorized immigrants entered the country last year, many through Arizona.
On Friday, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued the state of emergency along his state's border with Mexico, citing "recent developments ... including violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased evidence of drug smuggling and an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants."
The moves followed the week-long closure at the beginning of August of the US consulate in Nuevo Laredo, on the border with Texas, following a rise in lethal gang violence in that Mexican city.
The state of emergency declarations for the two states' border areas opened the way for the two governors to tap into emergency funds to expand border control operations.
Napolitano said Arizona would be earmarking 1.5 million dollars in emergency funds "to combat the growing devastation caused by the crimes associated with illegal immigration."
Mexican President Fox responded Tuesday to the moves by the two US governors with calls for greater cooperation over border problems.
He exhorted the United States to coordinate with Mexico to resolve border problems.
"Instead of pointing fingers, let's have proposals; instead of each side working by itself, let's work together; only like this will we be able to win," Fox said.
"There are criminal organizations on both that side (of the border) and this side; there are drug users on that side and this side," he said.
Sean McCormack, spokesman for the US State Department, said Tuesday that the US government is working alongside the Mexican government to protect the border.
McCormack said in regard to Richardson's decision that, as the governor of New Mexico, he has the responsibility to protect his state citizens in the manner he sees apprpriate.
Mexican agencies continued to stress the need to cooperate on border problems. On Monday, Jose Reyes Baena, the governor of the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, met with Texas authorities to discuss border security, especially the problem of drug trafficking, which has resulted in some 550 deaths along the border so far this year.
The Mexican foreign and interior ministries also said Tuesday in a joint statement that they were contacting Napolitano to discuss the new measures.
"We will watch to see that any action by police organizations remains respectful of the rights of our compatriots and respect domestic and international laws," the statement said.
Maybe they are being forced to. If not it may be political suicide. Otherwise they wouldn't bother.
What do you think will be the outcome of all of this?
Yeah, where is Arnold in this??????????????????
I'm calling him in the morning.
Why should he when he and the small percentage of filthy rich upper class keep their mestizo population poor and lie to them about dreaming aztlan. Aztlan is a fairytale not a reality.
I did not hear that yesterday. Missed the show today though.
I got the impression he was only stirring the pot. The emergency order supposedly allows for deployment of Sheriffs. Has he done this?
Is that where this guard story is from?
Um, I most humbly, agree. (spoken in a very soft, little voice.)
How about everyone that crosses over gets put to work building
the wall that keeps them out!
We need businessmen who knowing hire illegal aliens to go to jail. The government should confiscate and auction off the business. Hopefully, someone can keep it open and keep people employed.
El Presidente de Mexico Vicente Fox....
GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER.
"Our boarders are a joke!"
That's the understatement of the year!!!!
There's two portals at the border in San Diego which have guards; I-5 and 805. From there over to the AZ border, there's the equivalent of chicken wire fencing.
What I don't understand is why ACLU made a big fuss when Sean Hannity stepped over the fence. I have crossed the border many times into Tijuana. San Diego even re-built the trolley to run between downtown and Tijuana so Mexicans can shop at Horton Plaza. HA!
Punish people who hire criminals. A simple concept that will work...
"Once easy, illegally entering the U.S. here now a risky passage"
"What hasn't changed: Nationwide, the number of illegal crossers has not declined, some experts say."
""Instead of pointing fingers, let's have proposals; instead of each side working by itself, let's work together; only like this will we be able to win," Fox said."
You first, Vincente. What do you propose that we haven't already done?
Spend some pesos, Vincente, and fix your side of the border!
C'mon, this has been a problem for the 30 yrs that I've lived on the border. Simpson-Mazzouli (sp) was supposed to address it, it didn't, it just made the illegals move away from the border. Bush I wanted to build a fence but no Dims would go along with it.
This is just political grandstanding because they see it as a hot button issue. I really doubt that they will even try to solve the problem but if they do it will be something that just compounds the problem.
we have more BP and INS in this town than we have people anymore (alright I'm exaggerating, but just barely.)
One of our county commisioners wanted a drug dog to go through the buses from Palomas but that can't be done because...Oh you know all the arguments.
I Richardson does that I'll believe its more than grandstanding and a lot of hot air, until then I'll know its just political posturing to woo conservative illegal haters.
I don't care if it is an election ploy. These Democratic election ploys may just end up doing more than the Republican Congress is doing. If they are going to keep doing these "election ploys", we'd be better off electing them instead of the Republicans in Congress who keep claiming they can't do anything about it. IIRC, Jim Sensenbrenner tried to get a bill on illegal immigration considered, and the house leadership said no. NO! And they smear Tancredo more than Democrats do.
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