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.
Yeah, so?
The problem is we haven't treated them like an armed, invading force.
The national democrat party is a disaster on border issues.
Howard Dean is out going after Tom Tancredo and James Sensennbrenner.
Howard Dean says Gop is going to scapegoat immigrants in 06 like they scapegoated gays in the last election.
Howard Dean went after Arnold because he praised the minutemen.
There is not one democrat in the house or senate that is not for loving illegals.
;-)
Now that we have two Governors (Democrats yet already) declaring emergencies, it may be easier to get the tougher provisions of the Kyl-Cornyn Immigration Reform Bill passed.
Fox has said for years that the drug problem was one of demand and, therefore, a US problem This is the modest and belated response to such nonsense.
Fox will also claim that the terrorists and their weapons that have passed through Mexico are not his concern, either. We must SEAL THE FRIGGEN BORDER from one end to the other and then begin sending Fox's sales and delivery folks home.
Dems in the house and senate will never vote for this because it doesn't affect them and they want the illegal votes.
Dems trying to beat Repubs to the punch, because they saw in polling majority Repubs care about it, only like 2% of dems do, either way.
Hopeing to give rise to 3rd party canidates and split the Repub. vote in '06 and possibly '08.
Gosh, I sure feel fortunate that liberal politicians and illegal immigrants have no effect on me way up here in Massachusetts.
The question is getting Republicans lined up to vote for it.
The weak ones now have a couple Democrat governors declaring an emergency to point to as a way of shoring up their spines when facing their constituents who support illegal immigration.
He's protecting the $20 or $30 billion in remittances that are boosting Mexico's economy enough to keep him in office, that could be lost if the border closes.
Hate to be picky.........but if we are going to blast El Presidente, (and we should) we should get his name right.
It's VIcente..........not VINcente.
She forgot to mention highly contagious third-world diseases.
.....and Islamic terrorists, of course.
Notice that Napolitano and Richardson are Democrats. Irony, thy name is border control.
#31
Vicente, why the hell should be respect any laws? You and yours don't respect ours.
Fox's defintion of "winning" is, well, the creation of "Aztlan."
"I am amazed."
==========================
If not, you will be . .
Misleading headline. The border has not been closed in either state. All that has been done is the Democrat governors are politically posturing to hit the Republicans in a vulnerable spot. Plus, they're getting some federal funds given to their states. The amount of money that will make it to hard hit Cochise County where I live won't even cover the annual cost of incarcerating the illegals we have to keep or for the extra law enforcement costs caused by the border invasion. It is a political stunt, nothing more.
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