By Martin Avizu
It seems that the only immigration that Mexico condones and supports is Mexican immigration out of Mexico. The Mexican government deems that only Mexicans are eligible to go north and prosper. Maybe by keeping these scarce American jobs in the hands of Mexicans, they can raise their remittances. This could help the Mexican government through this now global economic crisis.
Today’s Top Story, written by Ken Ellingwood for the Los Angeles Times, reports that Mexico recently agreed to deport Cubans smuggled into the country on their way to the United States.
According to Ellingwood, Cubans began using Mexico as an entry point into the United States because the United States began patrolling the waters between Cuba and Florida more vigilantly. Mexican authorities have already arrested approximately 2,000 undocumented Cubans this year. Estimates put the number who made it to the United States last year at about 11,000.
Mexican officials report that the surge in immigration from Cuba has led to Mexican drug traffickers taking an active role in the smuggling aspect. Cuban clients can be charged up to $15,000. The newly signed agreement between Mexico and Cuba just may have added a few thousand more to that total.
Mexico, who believes the United States should treat Mexican immigrants with more compassion, obviously does not adhere to its own standards when it comes to the treatment of the down-trodden. Mexican officials are constantly berating the U.S. government for its failure to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill, which would include amnesty for millions of Mexicans or at least a path to citizenship.
Yet, they deny that same opportunity to Cubans as well as the countless Central Americans who must pass through Mexico to the reach the United States.
They must think that for every Cuban or Central American caught the chance that a Mexican may get a job increases. With remittances dropping in direct relation to the U.S. economy’s lackluster performance, they must figure every little bit helps.
Of course, there could never be a meeting about immigration without Mexico condemning U.S .immigration polices. This time Cuba joined in the blame-game by blaming U.S. immigrations policies for helping to create the smuggling markets.
They could not well take responsibility themselves for the rampant poverty and lack of opportunity in their respective countries so they blame the United States for attracting their citizens away from them.
I think this may be out of embarrassment more than anything. Two countries full of machismo, having their citizens leave in droves for the despised United States because of Mexico and Cuba’s collective failure to meet their needs.
So Mexico will forge ahead with its hypocritical stance on immigration; facilitating it for its citizens, while making harder on those who are not. Central Americans take jobs in Mexico for less than Mexicans, and hurt Mexicans’ chances of getting jobs in the United States.
Remittances, now more than ever, are being depended on as Mexico is affected by the global financial crisis. Mexico’s peso is once again on its old familiar financial roller coaster ride with devaluation an imminent reality.
Maybe Cubans and Central Americans illegally in Mexico should organize and protest Mexico’s treatment of immigrants. I am sure they will get the same treatment and respect immigrants here in the United States get when they protest and demand unalienable rights.
WHAT ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?
Has anyone noticed that neither John McCain nor Barack Obama are talking about what they are going to do with the 15 to 20 million illegal aliens that are in this country?
Ever wonder why the members of our nation’s media have not asked the candidates any questions on this subject during the debates? The answer is simple. The majority of American citizens would not like their answers.
Well, here’s a brief summary of McCain’s and Obama’s positions for you:
John McCain:
Rather than throwing illegal aliens out of the country, John McCain has voted in the past to extend social security benefits to the illegals who illegally enter our country, take jobs from American citizens, bankrupt our state and local governments with welfare costs, overload our schools at the expense of local taxpayers, bankrupt our hospitals because they don’t pay their medical bills, and overload our criminal justice system with criminals. McCain co-sponsored the Senate immigration bill that would have legalized millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. and still backs what he calls a “sensible” guest-worker program for workers who are in the country without legal documentation ( a nice way of saying illegal aliens), although he has recently called for strengthening penalties for those who hire undocumented immigrants.
Barack Obama:
He has voted to continue to provide federal funds for declared “sanctuary cities,” voted for the Senate immigration overhaul bill was supposed to strengthen border controls, although the bill would also create an expanded guest-worker program and eventually legalize millions of undocumented foreign workers ( a nice way of saying illegal aliens) who are here now. He has sponsored a bill to allow states to offer illegal immigrants in-state tuition and has also supported giving driver licenses to illegal aliens who have no legal right to be in this country, never mind driving on our roads.
If we want to switch the subject to the economic crisis brought about by fraudelent mortgages, why aren’t McCain and Obama asked to comment on the fraudulent home mortgages that were given to illegal aliens that was spelled out in a recent report of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The problem began years ago when the federal government began their social engineering experiments in housing with the American taxpayers’ money. In the name of political correctness, diversity and so-called fairness, congress and the executive branch began coercing the banks into giving mortgages to people who would normally never qualify for mortgages. The banks (with federal loan guarantees from Fannie Mae) became willing partners in this scam and gave mortgages to millions of people with bad credit histories, without confirming the borrowers’ social security numbers, employment, true identification or even their legal status in the country. As a result, millions of illegal aliens were given home mortgages which they could not afford and to many who had no intention of ever making a payment.
“When is the last time you applied for a car loan, a personal loan or a mortgage and did not have to provide valid identification or a social security number? The answer is never.
I believe there is no fundamental difference between the McCain and the Obama approaches to dealing with illegal immigration. No matter which candidate wins the election, it will be up to the American people (again) to keep them from giving the illegal aliens amnesty.
John Wallace
NY Campaign for Liberty
http://www.nycampaignforliberty.com/
By: John Wallace on October 27, 2008
at 11:01 am