Posted on 11/20/2001 4:17:34 PM PST by flamefront
Published: Nov 20, 2001WASHINGTON (AP) - A comprehensive immigration agreement between Mexico and the United States will have to be deferred because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, administration officials said Tuesday.
The officials, asking not to be identified, said they notified a visiting Mexican delegation that security concerns will have to take a higher priority in cross-border relations.
They said the Mexicans understood and accepted the U.S. decision.
Mexican President Vicente Fox has been a harsh critic of the current system, in which Mexican migrants who come to the United States are unable to escape their illegal status.
President Bush seemed to agree. During Fox's Sept. 5 visit here, he and Bush committed themselves to an approach that respects "the human dignity of all migrants," regardless of their legal status.
But the U.S. officials said that too many members of Congress believe that any measure that legalizes undocumented aliens would increase U.S. vulnerability to a terrorist attack.
Since Sept. 11, the administration has been making it more difficult for foreigners to enter the country. For Mexicans, this has meant more stringent searches at border crossings.
Visa processes for young men from Arab and Muslim nations have also been delayed to give officials more time to search for evidence of terrorist activities.
Immigration reform has be a high priority for Fox since he took office a year ago. When he met with Bush, Fox challenged him to reach an agreement by the end of the year.
Bush did not embrace the timetable but agreed that a legalization process - short of blanket amnesty - was called for, given the contributions Mexican workers have made to the U.S. economy.
The U.S. and Mexican delegations met for several hours Tuesday at the State Department. The American delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mary Ryan, also included Justice and Labor Department officials and immigration officials.
Mexico's delegation was led by Gustavo Mohar, a migration expert at Mexico's Secretariat for External Relations; and Rodolfo Tuiran, who heads Mexico's National Council on Population.
Another meeting will probably be held sometime in January. The officials said the U.S. side wants to keep options open in case political conditions change.
On Monday, a Mexican delegation met with Tom Ridge, the director of homeland security, and other officials to discuss border issues.
AP-ES-11-20-01 1900EST
Adios. Perhaps Germany is more suited for your tastes.
Yep, they f***ed up bigtime. They also lost their big chance to be something important. The UK, Russia, India, Singapore, Turkey, Australia and cripes, China, knew what was the deal was, knew we needed some comfort and knew enough to take advantage of the greatest post-Cold War oppoortunity to get on our good side in the history of the world. Help us and you'll write your own ticket - Nato membership, free trade zone, name what you want. Yeah, and we are going to be in the mood to be generous and we are going to remember it too.
Pointy hat alert.
amen!
I assume you live elsewhere.
The rest of the U.S. went missing when we all cried for help. The number of Latino people voting then reached critical mass. That is what Mexico holds over our governors or anyone who wants to run for governor.
We lost the war of the reconquista without firing a shot.
I happen to speak Spanish, love Mexican food, respect Mexican families and have Latinos for friends, so this is not "racist."
Just the facts, m'am.
Mexico is pumping oil like crazy for us. Why do you think you are paying 80 cents a gallon less for gasoline? This will do more for our economic recovery than a thousand burro patrols.
THANK YOU, MEXICO!
Logan Heights? Used to be black when I lived in El Cajon years and years ago. I recognize Chula Vista, and of course San Ysidro, but not IB or ***** City. Translate?
"White" isn't a dirty word either.
A few school districts provide volunteers to help kids in making the language transition-- mostly children of immigrants from South America of Japanese descent.
If you want a visa to stay here, you need a job. And if you want to get a job, you need a visa. The only way to overcome that dilemma is to have a skill which the economy here needs and a mentality willing to conform to the Japanese way of doing things rather than having society here bend to you.
Of course, if you do really have a better way to do things, this picture changes-- as Ed Demming discovered and even some of us who've lived and worked here a long time can find out in small ways.
That is the question I keep asking myself - what am I missing here? I understand globalism, vote pandering, and multi-culturalism/diversity. But there is something under the surface that I am missing.
A comprehensive immigration agreement between Mexico and the United States will have to be deferred because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, administration officials said Tuesday.
The officials, asking not to be identified, said they notified a visiting Mexican delegation that security concerns will have to take a higher priority in cross-border relations.
I am not sure I buy this. Why don't these officials want to be identified? Why is the Mexican delegation here in the first place. Why was Daschle and Gephardt just in Mexico.
Talk about changing directions every day, this sounds like something out of the Clinton playbook. Before 9/11 it was immigration/amnesty, even though it went against the wishes of the American people and a lot of members of the republican party. After 9/11, immigration/amnesty was a non issue. Then it became an issue again and Bush "placed it on the back burner" for further review. Now it is a dead issue again but nobody wants to be identified.
You can't be almost pregnant. Either you are or you aren't. I wish everyone in Washington would get on the same page on this issue.
Was Daschle and Gephardt's trip to Mexico just another paid vacation for these yo-yo's at tax payers expense? Sure sounds like it to me!!
President Bush seemed to agree. During Fox's Sept. 5 visit here, he and Bush committed themselves to an approach that respects "the human dignity of all migrants," regardless of their legal status.
Protecting illegals and law breakers, screwing the rest. Makes a lot of sense in the name of human dignity indeed. Are the NAFTA people really in favor of the economy and protecting US assets and allegiances? Somehow the economicaly positive job of our soldiers, police, firemen and volunteers for America seem to be out of the concern spectrum of the NAFTA crowd.
I didn't know this. Thank you for posting that informaion-- it's very important for us to know who our friends are.
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