In case anyone asks about Mexico's immigration policies:
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Prop. 200-style system already law in Mexico
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1019Reverse19.html
Chris Hawley
Republic Mexico City Bureau
Oct. 19, 2004 12:00 AM
MEXICO CITY - The provisions of Proposition 200 have stirred up a storm of debate in Arizona. But here in Mexico, they're already the law.
Arizona's contentious ballot proposal would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and proof of legal residency when applying for government benefits.
In Mexico, it has been that way for years. Only in hospitals are Mexico's laws more lenient about checking immigration documents. advertisement
To see if the requirements are being enforced, a Republic reporter (a U.S. citizen with legal residency in Mexico), went to six public agencies and two schools in Mexico City to inquire about services and registering to vote.
Almost every official asked to see proof of Mexican citizenship or an FM3 visa, the document that allows a person to live in Mexico. Often, it was the first question asked.
"Every agency has its own regulations, but generally, that's the rule. To receive these government services, you have to prove you are in the country legally," said Victoria Hernández, a spokeswoman for the Mexican Secretariat of Government, which oversees immigration.
Those same requirements have set off a furious debate in Arizona.
Opponents of Proposition 200, which will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, say it will turn state employees into immigration agents, build a culture of fear in government offices and create a public health risk by discouraging undocumented immigrants from seeking medical care.
Supporters say the measure will protect the election process and cut expenses by keeping undocumented immigrants from seeking benefits.
The Mexican government has been mostly silent on the issue. In one of the few public statements about Proposition 200, Mexico's undersecretary of foreign affairs for North America, Geronimo Gutiérrez, would say only that the Foreign Ministry "remains very attentive to how this measure is developing."
The Mexican media, usually strident on immigrant issues, has also mostly ignored Proposition 200.
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Do they still have the law forbidding foreignors from owning property. Many many years ago, my in-laws wanted to buy a beach house in Baja. They couldn't , they had to get a lease for umpteen years. Property rights might make changes necessary.