In Mexico, Daschle, Gephardt give strongest support yet to more open borders, immigration reform

Associated Press ^ | 11/17/2001 | Associated Press

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WIRE: 11/17/2001 8:49 pm ET

In Mexico, Daschle, Gephardt give strongest support yet to more open borders, immigration reform

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt said Saturday that they would forge ahead with immigration reform early next year, including some kind of legal residency for Mexican migrants already living in the United States. Such reforms "are very consistent with fighting against terrorism," Gephardt, D-Mo., told a news conference after meeting with President Vicente Fox during the congressmen's three-day trip to Mexico.

"If you are regularizing status, you are also understanding the people you are dealing with are not terrorists," Gephardt said, noting that those who would benefit are "people who have been in the United States for a long time, paid taxes, obeyed the laws and been very good citizens."

Daschle said discussion on the reforms could be held during the next congressional session early next year. He said legalization would not be equivalent to a broad amnesty, and would require a background check and investigation.

"The opportunity for us to investigate and expel those who ought not be there is something we want to deal with, too," he added.

The two lawmakers also said they were interested in a European Union-style program of public investments and a more open border.

"I think that it ought to be our goal that we have a free pass border at some point in the future," Daschle said.

Daschle's office later said he was not endorsing any particular program, but rather supported having the same freedoms on the Mexican border as those that exist on the Canadian border. Canadians do not need visas to enter the United States, but Mexicans do.

"I think it's unlikely that we will obtain that goal anytime in the short term," Daschle said. "(But) if the United States and Canada have a border like that, we ought to have the opportunity to have that kind of border with Mexico as well."

Fox, facing trouble at home on both economic and political fronts, desperately needs to make some headway on gaining better treatment for Mexican migrants to the United States, a central policy goal of his administration.

Daschle and Gephardt said Mexico's concerns hadn't fallen from the U.S. agenda in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"Our commitment (to bilateral issues) is every bit as strong as what it was on Sept. 10," Daschle said, noting that Congress is expected to vote in the next few days to suspend "for at least one year" an anti-drug certification program that has angered Mexicans.

The certification procedure required the State Department to judge other countries' anti-drug efforts and threatened the loss of financial aid for nations that failed the test.

Mexicans, and many other Latin Americans, considered that an affront to their sovereignty.

[MistyCA]

You hit the nail right on the head and we NEVER hear about that problem! All this crap about the illegals spending money in our country is just that....crap. I know lots of Mexicans (some illegal and some legal) who send money back to Mexico to buy land and build houses, etc.

[MistyCA]

You are,imo, absolutely right on the language issue. All of my great-grandparents came here not knowing how to speak English, and they all learned. I have a sister-in-law from Mexico who came not knowing any English. The first thing she did was go to school to learn, and within a year she was speaking very well. And another sister-in-law from Korea who came knowing little English. She also speaks very well. Both of my sisters-in-law think it is very important that their children go to school expecting to learn English as their primary language.

Another issue is the fact that many people who were born and raised in the USA are being denied jobs because they do not speak Spanish! This is backwards!

[MistyCA]

That is just nonsense Ken! Those 8 million people are not immigrants.....they are illegals who are violating the law. I would NEVER suggest that legal immigrants leave this country unless it was because of something like this war, in which case it would only include those people who present some sort of potential danger to us. But I will absolutely call for the removal of people who are draining our system and here illegally. Why not? There is no way we would last a day in their countries illegal, that's for sure!

[MistyCA]

Next you will be called xenophobic.

[MistyCA]

That is bologne, Ken! I am married to a person of Mexican descent. So is my brother. My brother's wife is fairly new to the US. All 4 of us are against illegals being in the US in spite of the fact that my sister-in-law has family members who are currently in the states illegally. None of us is against legal immigration. And for God's sake, none of us is racist against Mexicans! Your statement that this is racist is absolutely nuts,imo.

[PRND21]

I would think a "coyote" in Kansas would make less. ;)

[MissouriForBush]

Wake up, Ken21. I worked in North Carolina during the 1990s and the illegal aliens who were there from Mexico were NOT paying taxes. But they WERE taking advantage of social services paid for by taxpayers like myself. And a fair number of these illegal aliens were getting arrested for crimes like drug-dealing, rape and burglary. I, too, am sick and tired of people like you who toss the "racist" label on anyone who complains about this ridiculous perversion of our laws.

[LiberteeBell]

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[operation clinton cleanup]

I am sick to of democrats saying these people are paying taxes! That is EXACTLY why they are hired.. they employer is paying cash.. not taxes, social security, FICA. This would not be such a problem if the workers worked. They bring thier families and claim SSI benefits, shop at the food banks and get new clothes at the goodwill store. The "food baskets" given out at the food banks contain more than I can afford to buy myself, I know, I helped pack them!

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[ken21]

since when have you gotten a job for a company and not paid taxes?

yes, there are mexicans that work day labor jobs under the table. but, there whites who do the same thing. i have a friend that's a landscaper and he makes a third of his income under the table. why aren't you complaining about the whites who do this as well as the immigrants?

to complain about mexicans only is racist.

and don't tell me that they're not another race. most that come to this country are part indian and dark-skinned. that's why they don't stay in mexico. mexico is a very racist society. ever watched mexican tv? the professionals are white. the underclass is indian and dark-skinned.