How does Mexico handle illegal immigration?

THE LATEST ISSUE of Newsweek magazine has an interesting article, about the way Mexico handles the problem of illegal immigrants along its southern border.

It seems large numbers of people from Central America try to sneak across the Mexican border, either in search of jobs there or to work their way north toward the United States.

Businesses, often coffee plantations, gleefully pay illegal workers as little as $3.50 a day - and deduct living expenses from the amount. Like too many of their American counterparts, these unscrupulous businesses are only too eager to profit from others' misery.


Meanwhile, President Vicente Fox called out the troops in an effort to seal the border. Illegal entry is criminalized and can result in prison time. And those caught are shipped back out of the country as quickly as possible.

CONTRAST THAT APPROACH with the self-righteous demands Mexico's government has made to the United States. The Fox government reacted angrily to President Bush's call for National Guard troops to bolster border security. And the idea of criminalizing border-jumping or deporting large numbers of illegals back to Mexico infuriates Mexican authorities. Fox has lobbied Bush for years to find a way to legalize the status of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in America.

This hypocritical response is not difficult to understand. A porous northern border works to Mexico's advantage, while a porous southern border does not. So the United States is the bad guy for contemplating actions similar to how Mexico treats illegals from the south.

We've said it before, we'll say it again. Nothing should be done to favorably review the status of illegals until the border is fully secure.
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Watched something on this the other night. Their troops watch as people drown in the river as they cross and some that make it are shot on site. But WE should be tolorant? It's that pot/kettle thing again!