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U.S. Ambassador in Mexico says limited "Amnesty" coming soon
www.el-universal.com.mx ^ | November 05, 2003 | JASON LANGE

Posted on 11/05/2003 7:24:27 AM PST by VU4G10

The U.S. ambassador says the rising death toll among Mexicans trying to cross the border illegally gives the issue 'a sense of urgency.'

U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza on Tuesday said the U.S. Congress will likely approve limited migration reform in the next few months.

Garza said the rising death toll among migrants trying to cross the border illegally has given the issue "a sense of urgency," and ventured that migration reform could come in "a couple of months, [perhaps] three months."

"You'll see a lot of movement here pretty quickly," he told participants at an American Chamber of Commerce conference.

In recent months, U.S. lawmakers have proposed three separate bills to give more temporary work permits to undocumented migrants living in the United States. Garza said the Bush administration might take steps on its own toward migration reform apart from any action taken by Congress, though he did not elaborate what form such action could take.

"When you see the kinds of tragedies we've seen, you want to act out of compassion," Garza told a business forum in Mexico City, saying President Bush is looking for ways to "minimize the prospect of someone dying in the desert."

Garza also argued that legalizing undocumented workers was in line with the needs of the U.S. labor market.

He said the size of the Mexican illegal immigrant population an estimated 4-5 million "tells us that [U.S.] employers are seeking" out Mexican labor.

"Our migration policy must begin to respond to these realities," Garza said.

Garza's comments amounted to perhaps the most emphatic argument for migration reform by an official from the Bush administration since the Sept. 11 attacks shelved the issue two years ago.

Before the attacks, Mexico and the United States appeared close to an agreement on some sort of guest worker program. But the United States' subsequent focus on security, coupled by Mexico's refusal in the U.N. Security Council to back U.S. plans to invade Iraq, put migration talks on the back burner.

The past few months, however, have seen introduction of three new migration reform proposals in the U.S. Congress. Two of the bills propose substantial overhauls of migration laws, and could lead to the legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants. A third and less ambitious proposal seen as having the most support would legalize up to 500,000 agricultural workers.

The bills for wider reform face an uphill battle in Congress after being criticized by some legislators as de facto amnesty programs that would reward migrants for breaking migration laws.

The first two years of President Fox's term saw the nation's diplomats aggressively pushing for "the whole enchilada" in migration reform which was how former Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda described a wideranging guest worker program.

Since Castañeda's resignation early this year, the government has toned down its expectations, and in the words of current Foreign Minister Ernesto Luis Derbez, has sought "to cut the enchilada into bite-sized pieces."

Garza agreed that wide ranging reform will not come overnight.

"We're back on solid ground," Garza said of the congressional proposals. "But in the short term, you have to address these [issues] in terms of political realities."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico
KEYWORDS: ambassador; amnesty; fox; garza; illegal; immigrantlist; immigration; mexico; tony; tonygarza
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1 posted on 11/05/2003 7:24:27 AM PST by VU4G10
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To: VU4G10
The final straw.

Americans First.
2 posted on 11/05/2003 7:28:50 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Constitutionally limited Government now!)
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To: WhiteGuy
Hasta la vista, Jorge.
3 posted on 11/05/2003 7:31:09 AM PST by the gillman@blacklagoon.com
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To: VU4G10
2003: In a surprising moment of clarity, Congress decides that it would be easier to simply cede California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Mexico outright. "If there aren't any borders, there won't be any undocumented citizens trying to overrun them," Sen. Daschle is overheard saying, "Problem solved!"
4 posted on 11/05/2003 7:36:36 AM PST by Egon (Safety Tip: You can get AIDS by sitting at a public toilet before the previous person vacates!)
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To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com
Hasta la vista, Jorge


If this goes thru he deserves it. How would amnesty discourge illegal crossings, I'd think it would have to encourage more.
5 posted on 11/05/2003 7:37:42 AM PST by steve50
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To: VU4G10
Bush and his administration, and all other's before, have failed us on this issue. Period.

In five of ten years this issue will going to boil over and be very ugly. In California, Texas, or AZ. It's inevitable. People are going to stop waiting for the Feds to do something, anything and they will start taking the law into their own hands.

It's already happened in some border towns.



6 posted on 11/05/2003 7:49:22 AM PST by Ribeye (Coming to you live from Mexifornia, Aztlan.)
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To: VU4G10
We should keep a more watchful eye on Congress. The Thomas Web site (thomas.loc.gov) lets you know what legislation is out there and its current status:

This link, if it works, is my query on immigration bills: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

The first one, for example, is Tom Tancredo's bill: "H.R.946 Title: To effect a moratorium on immigration. Sponsor: Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] (introduced 2/26/2003) Cosponsors: 10 Latest Major Action: 3/6/2003 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.

“As used in this Act, the term `immigration moratorium' means the period beginning on October 1, 2003, and ending on September 30 of the first fiscal year after fiscal year 2008 during which the President submits a report to Congress, which is approved by a joint resolution of Congress, that the flow of illegal immigration has been reduced to less than 10,000 aliens per year and that any increase in legal immigration resulting from termination of the immigration moratorium would have no adverse impact on the wages and working conditions of United States citizens, the achievement or maintenance of Federal environmental quality standards, or the capacity of public schools, public hospitals, and other public facilities to serve the resident population in those localities where immigrants are likely to settle.”

What a dream!

7 posted on 11/05/2003 7:50:40 AM PST by KittyKares
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To: VU4G10
"Garza said the rising death toll among migrants trying to cross the border illegally has given the issue "a sense of urgency," and ventured that migration reform could come in "a couple of months, [perhaps] three months."

I may ask HOW this should be OUR business?? It should be the business of the MEXICAN government to save the lives of THEIR citizens.

8 posted on 11/05/2003 7:59:12 AM PST by Zipporah
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To: VU4G10
"in line with the needs of the US labor market"..


WTF is this idiot smoking?

Most of the recent grads in my states technical (trade) high schools are unable to find entry level jobs in their chosen trades!

The trades have been flooded with illegals. HVAC, Auto Body repair, Automotive repair, Plumbing, carpentry (framing)....you name it. All the entry level positions are being taken by illegals willing to work for less than minimum wages.....leaving the kids (US citizens) left to fight for cheesy jobs in the retail business with no future.
9 posted on 11/05/2003 8:09:11 AM PST by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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To: WhiteGuy
Mexico President Vicente Fox in Arizona:

"I came here with the firm desire to continue to strengthen the contact, the union between Mexico and its communities abroad," Fox said. "We are one, we are the same, we are 120 million Mexicanos and Mexicanas united in our values, united in our nation."
10 posted on 11/05/2003 8:16:56 AM PST by VU4G10 (Have You Forgotten?)
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To: VU4G10
"We are one, we are the same, we are 120 million Mexicanos and Mexicanas united in our values, united in our nation."

Presidente Fox,

Then unite their asses on your own soil, scumbag. Quit sending them here to steal from American taxpayers what your corrupt economy can't provide.

11 posted on 11/05/2003 8:29:43 AM PST by jimt
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To: Ribeye
"they will start taking the law into their own hands."

The West was born by vigilantes. We are close to see it happen again, if law and order become disorder....

Arm and Be Prepared!!
12 posted on 11/05/2003 8:32:07 AM PST by olinr
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To: taxed2death
Most of the recent grads in my states technical (trade) high schools are unable to find entry level jobs in their chosen trades!

I wonder if the White House has yet managed to connect the dots between the flood of illegals and our 'jobless recovery'.

13 posted on 11/05/2003 9:02:02 AM PST by skeeter (Fac ut vivas)
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To: HiJinx
ping
14 posted on 11/05/2003 9:13:50 AM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: VU4G10
I think that amnesty is a "done deal" all behind our backs. Americans have no voice or choice in this. America is dead.
15 posted on 11/05/2003 9:39:50 AM PST by texastoo
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To: Zipporah
I think I will just continue to post the rising death toll of Americans.

http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/text/crimevictims.html

Scroll down this page. Note also that many of the crimes are not even mentioned. In Brownsville the trial continues for the illegal aliens who decapitated their three infants and had sex afterward.
16 posted on 11/05/2003 9:48:38 AM PST by texastoo
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To: Zipporah
What about the rising death toll of Americans who are victimized by the hordes of illegals already here? One-third of all prison inmates in the U.S. are illegals, the vast, vast majority of whom are Mexican.
17 posted on 11/05/2003 10:14:20 AM PST by ought-six
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To: HiJinx; JustPiper; FITZ; Joe Hadenuf; gubamyster
ping
18 posted on 11/05/2003 10:22:19 AM PST by texastoo
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To: ought-six
There is NO COMPASSION for American victims.
19 posted on 11/05/2003 10:25:05 AM PST by texastoo
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To: 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 4.1O dana super trac pak; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; A CA Guy; ...
Bump-Ping!!!
The Border List TM

Freepmail me if you wish to be removed from or added to this list!

20 posted on 11/05/2003 10:36:11 AM PST by HiJinx (Go with Courage, go with Honor, go in God's good Grace. Come home when you're done. We'll be here.)
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