Last week, President Bush announced his reckless proposal for an amnesty, which of course he declares isn't an amnesty, when in fact it is.
This is suicide for his party and his country, of course—if arguably not for his dynasty. It must be defeated.
But guess what, concerned American? Mexican Foreign Minister Derbez was quick to announce, a scant few hours later, that Bush's proposal didn't go far enough.
According to El Universal:
"The secretary of Foreign Relations, Luis Ernesto Derbez, affirmed that he cannot be satisfied with George W. Bush's proposal to grant temporary employment (sic) to immigrants...the goal is a total and complete program that protects those (Mexicans) in the United States and those who aspire to go there." [El secretario de Relaciones Exteriores, Luis Ernesto Derbez, aseguró que no puede estar satisfecho con el anuncio del presidente George W. Bush de otorgar empleo temporal a inmigrantes, toda vez que lo que se busca es obtener un programa total e integral que proteja a quienes ya se encuentran en Estados Unidos y a los que pretenden llegar.]
And Vicente Fox's response? Fox said "Es más pequeñito de lo que buscamos."—"It's much tinier than what we were looking for ." (Decepciona plan de Bush, El Siglo de Torreón, January 8th, 2004)
For the Mexican government, you see, nothing is enough. And turnabout is never fair play.
Another example: Consider this from Mexican congressman Antonio Mejía, about the recently-enacted U.S. VISIT program, which requires photographing and fingerprinting foreign visitors to U.S. airports:
"We cannot permit that Mexican men, women and children be treated like terrorists..." (No podemos permitir que a hombres, mujeres y niños mexicanos los traten como terroristas...) [Piden crear "ley espejo" a seguridad de EU, Universal, January 5th, 2004].
Besides attracting the ire of Mexican opposition politicians such as Mejía, U.S.-VISIT has occasioned the displeasure of Mexican travelers. They have complained that the operation is inconvenient, or makes them feel nervous or treats them like criminals. [Molesta el fichaje a mexicanos, El Universal, January 6th, 2004]
Well, that's tough. As an American living in Mexico, I was fingerprinted by the Mexican government a long time ago.
I didn't raise a fuss about it.
After all, doesn't the Mexican government have the right to demand that foreigners like me conform with Mexican immigration law?
Besides, how inconvenient is US-VISIT? A DHS memo stipulates that at most, foreign travelers can be detained for only an hour, even under orange or red terror threat levels! [New anti-terror program contains hidden loophole, Paul Sperry, World Net Daily, January 8th, 2004 ]
Another recently-enacted U.S. policy is also under fire in Mexico. [U.S. agents in airport spark ire, Ruth Rodríguez and Sergio Javier Jiménez, El Universal, January 6th, 2004]
This is the recent deployment of U.S. agents, including the FBI, in Mexican airports, with authority over passengers on flights proceeding to the U.S., and even over the flights themselves.
The American agents, based in Mexican airports, review the passenger lists of U.S. bound flights, including those of Mexican airlines. The agents have the authority to interrogate a passenger, and even to forbid his boarding the flight. They have authority to postpone a flight to the U.S. They even have authority to call back a flight that has already departed—as was done recently with Flight 494 From Mexico City to Los Angeles. [En manos de agentes de EU, Vuelos mexicanos, Ruth Rodriguez, El Universal, January 6th, 200]
All this dates back to 2002, when the U.S. and Mexico signed the "Smart Borders" agreement. This security arrangement was part of the deal.
Note that the American agents have no authority over domestic Mexican flights or international flights to countries other than the U.S. Only over flights to the U.S.
And yet, Mexican critics are right—it is a loss of sovereignty. Mexicans can be very defensive about their sovereignty.
On January 8th, protesting university students chanted "Soberanía sí, yanquis no". (Sovereignty yes, Yankees no.) [Protestan en aeropuerto por revisión de EU, El Siglo de Torreón, January 8th, 2004.]
My suggestion: Americans should defend American sovereignty too.
Consider what the United States puts up with from Mexico. In the U.S.A., Mexican consulates issue the matricula consular to Mexican illegal aliens on U.S. territory. This is a document which grants de facto legalization to Mexican illegal aliens on U.S. territory. How many American politicians are up in arms over this?
Only a few brave souls, such as Tom Tancredo.
Furthermore, Mexican diplomats in the U.S. engage in activities that go far beyond legitimate diplomatic duties. They have successfully meddled in U.S. internal politics. None has ever been officially reprimanded.
Let's admit it—the U.S. is indeed meddling in Mexican aviation. But Mexico is meddling in U.S. immigration policy. It is even claiming jurisdiction over American citizens of Mexican ancestry.
The very idea of an immigration accord with Mexico is a massive affront upon U.S. sovereignty. It would turn U.S. immigration policy over to the Mexican government, which has no intention whatsoever of decreasing emigration to the United States.
Sometimes Mexican hypocrisy is breath-taking.
Thus the front page of the January 4th, 2004 edition of El Siglo de Torreón was emblazoned with the headline "Vulnera EU soberanía" – "The US invades (Mexican) sovereignty." The article was about the U.S. agents in the Mexico City airport.
Page 10A of the same issue, however, contained an article [not online] entitled "Insiste el Gobierno en pacto migratorio" – "The [Mexican] Government Insists on a Migratory Accord." It reported the Mexican government's intention to lobby strongly to support current immigration measures pending in the U.S. [!!] Congress. (It was adorned by a picture of Arizona's immigration-enthusiast congressman Jim Kolbe.)
Quite plainly, Mexican meddling in U.S. immigration policy is a lot more substantive than American direction of U.S.-bound flights from Mexico.
But Mexicans can indulge themselves in this double standard—because no American "leader" ever protests.
American citizen Allan Wall lives and works legally in Mexico, where he holds an FM-2 residency and work permit, but serves six weeks a year with the Texas Army National Guard, in a unit composed almost entirely of Americans of Mexican ancestry. His VDARE.COM articles are archived here; his FRONTPAGEMAG.COM articles are archived here; his website is here. Readers can contact Allan Wall at [email protected].
