Filed under: Immigration, Latin America, Law, National Security, The Constitution, The United States | Tags: Official Mexico Outrage, Open Borders v. Rule of Law, Securing the Border
With Obama off on his African Vacation, the news has been much centered on the battle over an immigration bill in the Senate. The bill that emerged from the Senate would double the number of Border Patrol agents along the southern border with Mexico, and the number of drones guarding them from above would triple. The measure also would provide 700 miles of fencing along the border and around-the-clock surveillance flights with drones. (Since there are no teeth in the bill, and huge amounts of pork, it is unlikely to be taken seriously by the House.)
This has ignited fury in Mexico, where officials rushed to any available microphone to flood the Spanish-language media expressing their outrage. One renowned academic insisted that deploying more federal agents is tantamount to an increase in human rights violations. One Mexican congressman (Fernando Belaunzaran) said “we are friends and neighbors” as is repeated ad nauseam, but the U.S. is about to militarize the border with Mexico as if we were at war.”
The fact remains that our southern border is dangerously porous, and it’s not just humble migrants seeking a better life who cross the border. Drugs, criminal gangs, and terrorists are all part of the mix. But our hypocritical friends south of the border prefer that we have open borders, for it relieves their problems with their poorest citizens, and helps to support their economy.
Not only that, but the remittances, such as Western Union Moneygrams from the United States represent the second largest source of income for Mexico, second only to the Mexican oil industry. In 2009, Mexican workers, mostly illegal aliens, sent home $21.2 billion in such transfers. According to the Inter-American Development Bank, all of Latin America received $69.2 billion in remittances from the U.S. in 2009 alone. The U.S. Post Office now offers now offers a wire transfer service, but only to Latin American countries. In May 2012, wire transfers totaled $2.34 billion.
Between June 2009 and June 2010 immigrants have gained 656,000 jobs while U.S. born workers lost 1.2 million jobs during the same period. The Pew study found that 57% of those referred to as “immigrant” workers were actually non-citizens.
Mexico annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does. Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico. Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society. Foreigners are admitted into Mexico “according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress.” Immigration officials must ensure that immigrants will be useful elements and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” and for their dependents. Foreigners will be barred if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics, when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.
A National Population Registry keeps track of ‘every single individual who comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity. A National Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number. And don’t even think of fake immigration papers or false signatures. Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may get 6 years in prison. There’s more, lots more, but you get the idea.
Mexico has its own problems with corruption and poverty, criminals and the drug cartels, but sending their own problems across the border because it is financially attractive helps them avoid cleaning house at home. We need to understand what the demonstrations here and the hysteria coming from Mexican officials actually mean. It is more complicated than just a matter of Democrats wanting more low-skilled, low-paid migrants to become reliable Democrat voters.
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