Posted on 01/14/2006 7:54:12 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY- U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza on Friday asked Mexicans to respect America's right to protect its borders and said there has been widespread misinformation about a proposal to extend to border walls and tighten immigration enforcement.
In a five-page, more than 2,000-word newsletter released to coincide with the beginning of the new year, Garza wrote about House Bill 4437, which must still be considered by the U.S. Senate but would build 700 miles of additional fences along the U.S.-Mexico border while making illegal entry a felony and enlisting military and local police to help stop undocumented migrants.
"Some have said a border fence violates human rights and have even compared it to the Berlin Wall," Garza said. "Comparisons of proposals to alter our border policies to the Berlin Wall are not only disingenuous and intellectually dishonest, they are personally offensive to me.
"The Berlin Wall was built to keep people trapped inside, and was created by an oppressive authoritarian government," he said. "In stark contrast, our democratically elected government has proposed methods of protecting its own citizenry and enforcing our immigration laws."
The U.S. proposal has caused widespread resentment in Mexico, where some have accused President Vicente Fox's administration of not being assertive enough in opposing it. Fox has called the bill shameful.
Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said the proposal was "stupid and underhanded," but has since been more restrained in his criticisms, promising Mexico City will do everything it can to ensure the legislation is not approved by the Senate.
In the newsletter, Garza said the measure "is not an effort to 'close' the U.S. border. Neither is the bill just about fences."
"There is no human right to enter another country in violation of its laws," he said. "Every sovereign state has the right to control the entry of foreigners. Mexico too imposes immigration controls."
Garza irked many Mexican officials this summer when he ordered the U.S. Consulate in the border city of Nuevo Laredo temporarily closed and said he did so in part to punish Mexico for widespread violence there and elsewhere along the border.
The ambassador acknowledged in the newsletter that "we do not expect Mexico to endorse every security measure we take."
"But we do trust that our neighbors will respect our right to those measures on our own territory," he said, "and will understand the distinction we make between legal and illegal immigration."
Yep!
It took him enough time - about 2 months after the fact of the MX inane press.
He must have been too busy with his beer baroness wife to take any action.
After Condi cleaned up for him.
That's true because it's unlikely there will be any walls or enforcement in the near future.
That was pretty WHITE of him. After all, isn't the issue with Mexico based on race? < /sarcasm mode off>
This is a backhanded slap at Mexico's "defense" of its southern border. Too bad Garza didn't elaborate more on the subject.
Thanks for the help, but in the end none of it matters. We don't care whether you approve or disapprove - its OUR border.
Frankly, they can respect our right to protect our borders, not respect it, or go jump in a lake. There's nothing thay can do about it except whine like a bunch of girls anyway.
....asked Mexicans to respect America's right to protect its borders.
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This is not even 'slamming' the barn door after the horses have run out. Hey, Garza, how about the freakin' TEN MILLION of these criminals INSIDE OUR BORDERS, robbing from this country on our tax system your President just loves? How about that?
What a giant crock of NOTHING.
I hope he'll also ask President Bush to respect our right to protect our borders.
Mexico won't respect our border because they don't recognize it. They think our southwest is still part of Mexico.
Thank you ambassador!
I've gotten so frustrated hearing this crap from Mexico with no official response when it is SO easy to debunk their arguments.
Keep making statements like this. PR is needed to counter the media's love affair with making the US look like no more than a big bully trying to keep future hard-working US citizens out of our country.
When you have a flood; the first thing you do is drown the Liberals, as they will defend the right for the water to be there in the first place.
Second step is sealing the leak; what good is trsnferring water over the levy, when it can pour right back in? Once the leak is sealed; then you start transferring the unwanted element out.
Same thing with illegals. Plug the holes, nothing gets 'in' and nothing gets 'out' without going through inspection. Then we start 'inspecting'; and hauling out the rubbish. I'd like to see our gov't offer up a $50 bounty on each one caught. Think about the number of calls people would make, and imagine the tax savings we would benefit from.
Yes!!
Talk is cheap, but at least the talk is sounding a little better.
If our media organizations (supposed masters of English usage} can't understand the difference how can Mexicans, Guatemalans and Hondurans be expected to?
Seriously, though; it's good to see at least one Federal representative telling them straight.
I wish I could be more optomistic but here is what I see happening....there will be cover bills in congress till dooms day to cover for our traitors and traitor-wanna-be's in congress. Nothing is going to be done, period, to protect this nations borders. The grand plan of our traitors and traitor-wanna-be's in congress will never allow the borders of this nation to be protected. The traitors and traitor-wanna-be's will continue to rob the treasury for illegals at taxpayer's expense. When the next attack happens and more Americans are killed because of the traitors and traitor-wanna-be's in our congress, there will be a lot of talk and then NOTHING will change. I await our traitors and traitor-wanna-be's in congress to prove me wrong, but I doubt they will.
Again, I wish I could be more optomistic.
It's way past time to clean Mexico's clock. Put up the wall!!!!!!! Maybe if we keep Mexicans out they will take a better look at their Country and clean it up starting with Fox.
Ambassador Garza Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
Then we start 'inspecting'; and hauling out the rubbish. I'd like to see our gov't offer up a $50 bounty on each one caught.
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Well we know this President will not lift a finger to get rid of illegals as Ike did. Ike had guts and was a strong domestic President. It is up to the people to put the heat on the losers in Washington. The bounty should be $5000 each --- that would be much cheaper than what the taxpayers are being shafted for by the Washington political class, to SUPPORT illegals.
Makes me ill, and fighting mad. Let's hope for America, that something gets rolling to get these criminals out of our country, and KEEP THEM OUT.
Then we start 'inspecting'; and hauling out the rubbish. I'd like to see our gov't offer up a $50 bounty on each one caught.
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Well we know this President will not lift a finger to get rid of illegals as Ike did. Ike had guts and was a strong domestic President. It is up to the people to put the heat on the losers in Washington. The bounty should be $5000 each --- that would be much cheaper than what the taxpayers are being shafted for by the Washington political class, to SUPPORT illegals.
Makes me ill, and fighting mad. Let's hope for America, that something gets rolling to get these criminals out of our country, and KEEP THEM OUT.
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