Oh My Goodness! Not Complaints to Multilateral Bodies!

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Mexico furious at tough US law on migrants
By John Authers in Mexico City and Edward Alden in Washington
Published: May 13 2005 19:27 | Last updated: May 13 2005 19:27

Mexico has reacted furiously to a bill signed into law by the US this week that would fund a border wall and prevent illegal Mexican migrants from obtaining US driving licences.

President Vicente Fox said he would lodge a diplomatic complaint, and was considering complaints to multilateral bodies if Mexico could not unable to resolve the problem bilaterally.

In the US, leaders of the Mexican community threatened to strike to send a message to US employers that they could not survive without cheap Mexican labour.

Santiago Creel, Mexico's interior secretary, said the “Real ID” law was “negative, inconvenient, and obstructionist”.

“Building walls doesn't help anyone build a good neighbourhood,” he said. “Taking away the possibility of obtaining driving licences for people who are working in legal jobs, who pay their taxes there, who send remittances home here, seems to us to be an extreme measure, particularly given the new understanding that we thought we had after the re-election of President Bush.”

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, mayor of Mexico City, supported Mr Fox's stance. He said the problem of growing immigration could be “resolved by encouraging development in Mexico and Central America, not by building walls and using the border control”.

Since 2002, Mexico has adopted a popular policy of issuing undocumented labourers with consular identity cards, which are accepted as proof of identity by many US states for issuing driving licences, and for opening bank accounts. Under the new law, this would no longer be possible. The immigration provisions approved by Congress were attached by House Republicans to a bill that will provide more than $80bn for the war in Iraq this year, giving lawmakers little choice but to support it.

The White House, which at first opposed the new restrictions, supported them when it became clear they would pass Congress in spite of administration opposition.

President George W. Bush has said he wants to deal with illegal immigration by creating a temporary guest worker programme. But many Republicans are using the anxiety about terrorism to push for a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

[mcaldwell]

If they are an "Illegal Migrant", how are they working "Legal Jobs"? I doubt they are paying all the taxes required either.

I can be pretty liberal on most immigration topics, but this one just doesn't garner any sympathy from me.

[firenresq77]

[PattyV]

Its easier for us, we are an island so we just have P3C Orions patrol the coast for illegal boats from Indonesia. We also have several navy ships that do the same.
Of course we cant seem to stop all those Kiwis coming over here for some reason...

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

I knew it. Now we did it. We have forced Mexico to send a dimplomatic note!

Mexico protests to U.S. in immigration furor Wed May 18, 3:23 AM ET



Mexico formally complained to the United States on Monday in an escalating dispute over immigration that led President Vicente Fox to make remarks last week that were widely condemned as racist.

Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez told reporters that Mexico sent Washington a diplomatic note, a form of official protest between two countries.

Mexico is complaining about tough new U.S. rules on foreigners that make it more difficult for millions of illegal immigrants from Mexico to get driver's licenses.

The controls, passed by Congress as part of a larger legislative package, also allow the extension of a fence on the border between California and Mexico aimed at stopping illegal immigrants.

Differences over immigration came to a head when Fox, frustrated that a proposal by President Bush to ease immigration restrictions had bogged down in Congress, told business people in Texas on Friday that Mexican immigrants "are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States."

The remark was condemned in the United States as racist, although criticism in Mexico was more muted. There are few blacks in Mexico and racism toward black people is not a major issue for the public.

"That's a very insensitive and inappropriate way to phrase this, and we would hope that they would clarify the remarks if they have a chance," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

Fox's office has tried to contain the damage, saying on the weekend he regretted the racist interpretation and clarifying that the comment was meant to highlight the positive role of Mexican workers in U.S. society.

Fox is scheduled to meet personally with U.S. civil rights activist Jesse Jackson early on Wednesday in Mexico City after Jackson described Fox's comments as having "ominous racial overtones."

"The president said he had never made any racist comment about the Afro-American community, which he has great respect for, and that his words have been badly interpreted," government spokesman Ruben Aguilar told reporters.

Mexico has a small black community on the Pacific coast that is descended from slaves brought by Spanish colonial rulers centuries ago. Mexicans frequently use nicknames for friends and colleagues that would be construed as racially insulting in some other countries.

Fox was backed by Mexico's leading churchman.

"That declaration is not racist at all. That is what happens in the United States, which anyone can confirm, Cardinal Norberto Rivera said. (Additional reporting by Saul Hudson in Washington)

[CaptainS]

Building walls doesn't help anyone build a good neighbourhood,”

But tall fences make for good neighbors.

[N2DFire]

Santiago Creel, Mexico's interior secretary, said the “Real ID” law was “negative, inconvenient, and obstructionist”.

“Building walls doesn't help anyone build a good neighbourhood,” he said. “Taking away the possibility of obtaining driving licences for people who are working in legal jobs, who pay their taxes there, who send remittances home here, seems to us to be an extreme measure, particularly given the new understanding that we thought we had after the re-election of President Bush.”

And thus the true reason is revealed.

[Dave1983]

Just great. On top of the Cubans sailing for Miami, were going to get Mexicans sailing for Tampa.

[hwoods]

Can't fault a man for telling the truth, can we?. The Comment about Mexicans doing work that Black People don't want to do has a ring of truth to it. Of course, Nobody else in America wants these jobs either. My BIG problem with this is the money being sent home. You make it in America, you spend it in America. Or that's the way it should be. You work here, you speak our language, you follow our rules, etc. OR go elsewhere.

BTW, George, where did the first news article that you posted come from? Reads like a British paper. My first rule of journalism is that there is no "u" between an "o" and an "r", here in America.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by hwoods
Can't fault a man for telling the truth, can we?. The Comment about Mexicans doing work that Black People don't want to do has a ring of truth to it. Of course, Nobody else in America wants these jobs either. My BIG problem with this is the money being sent home. You make it in America, you spend it in America. Or that's the way it should be. You work here, you speak our language, you follow our rules, etc. OR go elsewhere.

BTW, George, where did the first news article that you posted come from? Reads like a British paper. My first rule of journalism is that there is no "u" between an "o" and an "r", here in America.

I don't remember the exact source. I know it come from the Drudge Report and he frquently uses UK sources.

[mymedic26]

Ok I can't help but reply... We have several orchards in our area where immigrants are employed. That in itself doesn't bother me... however they are now working on huge farms and are forming unions and striking in the next town over. And as posted before sending any money they make back home. Be happy you even have a job.

[FDNY101TRUCK]

I dont see the problem if they are sending money home to support their families who probaly dont have any money and/or dont have a job...hence the reason why they moved to america. I know this guy who is mexican and he works his *** off at this pizzeria and I have talked to him and he sends most of the money he makes here back home I mean he is supporting his families and I think this is great.

You work here, you speak our language, you follow our rules, etc. OR go elsewhere.

Its against the law to send money home?

[DennisTheMenace]

If you all don't want immigrants, legally or otherwise, coming in to the United States, working hard at low paying jobs, then quit sending your kids off to college and send them to the fields and construction sites. Or quit buy fruits and vegetables. Anyone that has taken basic high school economics can see that we derive far more benefits from immigrant labor then we pay out. Even if every immigrant sent every cent they earned back to their family in their home nation, the profits that their employers’ earn spend, and reinvest off of their labor is astronomical in comparison.

You want to stop illegal immigration? The only way is to make it easy for those willing to work to get papers easily so that they enter and exit through proper channels, that is the only way we will ever be able to stop the true crimminal and terrorist elements from sneaking across. Quit wasting time on the workers that help us, and you can concentrate on those that hurt us.

[hwoods]

Originally posted by FDNY101TRUCK
Its against the law to send money home?

I'm not sure if it is or not. Interesting Question. And Dennis, You DO have a point about College. One of the biggest problems facing America today is all those College Grads who make 45K as a Software designer while the guy who picks up their garbage makes 65K for the same hours each week. I know several guys (one is a Volunteer with me) who drive Tractor Trailer Trucks, and all of them make over 70K/year, while a Friend from high school, who has an Engineering Degree, bags Groceries in the Super Market.

[FlyingKiwi]

Patty

Of course we cant seem to stop all those Kiwis coming over here for some reason...

To use a Quote from many years ago when a Kiwi told our then Prime Minister (Robert Muldoon) he was heading for Australia.

Rob turned to the guy on national TV and said

"Great, that will raise the average I.Q. here in New Zealand as soon as you leave."

[PattyV]

You're heading over here arent you kiwi?
If it wasnt for the kiwis over here we wouldnt have a construction industry. Two of my brothers have a slight Kiwi accent because they are pretty much the only Aussies that work for the company.