Posted on 07/13/2005 8:37:38 AM PDT by jackbenimble
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - While Mexico has enhanced security since the Sept. 11 attacks, future cooperation hinges on U.S. willingness to liberalize its immigration policies, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda warned Congress on Tuesday.
Castaneda, who is running as an independent in the 2006 presidential race, said security must be twinned with what he called the "whole enchilada" - legalization for the 6 million Mexicans living here illegally, visas for Mexicans desiring to come here in the future, and economic development for impoverished interior regions responsible for the exodus.
"There can be no future cooperation beyond what already exists without some form of immigration package," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a border security hearing.
Just as immigration is a volatile topic in the United States, Castaneda said the idea of enhanced U.S.-Mexican cooperation on security issues, such as military-to-military involvement, is "very, very sensitive" to Mexicans.
"It is not easy for any Mexican government to move forward on that," he said. "It can be done in a package. If it's done in a sort of salami-type arrangement - slice by slice - I'm not sure it's going to work."
But Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., pointed to the difficulties inherent in enacting a massive immigration-and-security package and instead suggested that both countries tackle measured "confidence-building" steps.
"I can't agree with you that we have to do this in totality," Dodd said. "As a practical matter, it's just very difficult to anticipate Congress adopting large comprehensive proposals."
The Senate Judiciary Committee on July 27 will consider rival proposals that would create guest worker programs for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants of all nationalities already here.
One, by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., would provide a path to citizenship after six years as a guest worker. The other, being drafted by GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona, would require the guest workers to return home when their visas expire.
Both bills include enhanced border security measures but fall short of the expansive framework advanced by Castaneda.
The former Mexican official, who resigned from President Vicente Fox's Cabinet in 2003, acknowledged that Mexico must do more to crack down on organized crime gangs operating with near impunity along the Southwest border. He also spoke of the need for Mexico to control its southern border, which Central Americans and other foreigners cross en route to the U.S.
"More and more people in Mexico today understand that our southern border has to be brought back under control," he said. "We are having enormous problems with the Salvadoran gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha, in southern Mexico. We are having enormous problems with prostitution (and) drugs on our southern border."
The United States is confronted with a rising wave of foreigners using Mexico as a platform to cross illegally into the United States, Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar testified.
The Border Patrol is on pace to apprehend 148,000 non-Mexican illegal immigrants this year - nearly twice the 75,000 arrested last year, he said. As many as 4,000 non-Mexicans arrested this year are from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and other countries known to harbor terrorists, said Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar, R-Ind.
The Mexican leaders are all stupid. Letting your brighest and hardest working people leave the country is not a good long term strategy. What they need to do is to tackle corruption and focus on low taxes and low regulation.
All part of the plan.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1441807/posts
I think we need another Mexican-American War. They need to shut up and keep their noses out of our Sovereign Business!
Am I reading this right? Is Senor Castaneda saying that they'll promise "security" IF (the big IF) we'll legalize the millions of illegals already living here, give visas to the millions who will come in the future, AND provide money for "economic development" of the areas of Mexico deserted by those millions of people?
"Whole enchilada" indeed!! Pray tell what does America get out of this deal? More welfare recipients? Is anyone else reading this like I am? This guy is crazy, and he probably has GWB nodding his head in agreement!
You know the plan.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1441807/posts
Liberalize immigration? Absolutely NOT! If the Mex would take care of their own problem, people wouldn't leave.
But don't ask about joint military operations. Although, in light of the "Zetas," a gang of rogue former Mexican federal troops that have gone over tho the "dark side," it might be a good idea to rethink joint military ops with Mexico.
Don't ask about cleaning up Mexican corruption, either, I would guess.
If it got any more liberal there wouldn't be a border. Civilized nations deserve a controlled and safe way to accept new, non-native born, citizens.
Who cares. They collectively send home $10 bln annually.
Well said! Mexico has great potential. Huge amounts of natural resources, perfect climate, and hard-working people. All they need is a dose of good-old fashioned capitalism.
No, what we must do is secure and mine the border.
link, post 7.
We'll have that..and more if the Government of the USA continues to kowtow to foreign entities and allows the unconstitutional invasion of the USA.
Our Government needs fixing. Our Government, in it's selfish tyranny is not listening to WE THE PEOPLE. We should remember that we only allow ourselves to be governed only according to the constitution. When our own government begins an unconstitutional rule, well, Patriots can figure out what else needs doing.
Your link in post #3 should be RECOMMENDED READING for everyone on this forum if they want to learn what's in store for America.
The drinkers of the artificially sweetened fruit flavored drink refuse to look at it.
It will turn their little fantasy world upside down.
ping
Mexico is one of the major oil-producers in the world, and an industrial producer in its own right. It sells its products abroad for dollars.
By rights, Mexico should be a labor importer, its labor demands should require additional immigrants. It isn't happening, because Mexico has other structural economic problems that trap it into poverty.
Mexico likes to claim that our prosperity is a result of cheap labor, which makes Mexico our secret economic weapon. If Mexicans really believed that, though, they would open up their own borders to other cheaper workers from further south. Since they aren't welcoming Hondurans into their factories, its pretty clear that they don't believe it.
If cheap labor were the key to prosperity, then Mexico should be booming, since they are the home of that cheap labor. But they aren't, they can't put these people to work at any price.
Wealth is not about the price of hired help, but rather a function of legal clarity; predictable laws, honest courts, protection of property rights, protection of individuals both workers and owners. Fix that problem, and Mexico becomes a labor importer.
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