Posted on 05/02/2006 8:59:41 AM PDT by Icelander
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The leftist candidate in Mexico's presidential election vowed on Tuesday to put immigration reform at the top of his agenda with Washington after a day of huge street protests by immigrants across the United States.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the demonstrations which drew hundreds of thousands of mainly Hispanic immigrants onto the streets of American cities on Monday showed the failures of past policies by U.S. and Mexican governments.
Only a deal legalizing the status of those workers already in the United States and economic policies that create more jobs in Mexico will stop hundreds of thousands of people from crossing the border illegally every year, Lopez Obrador said.
He promised it would be his No. 1 issue in dealing with Washington if he is elected on July 2.
"Migration flows can not be stopped. Even if they build walls, even if there are raids, even if there are more severe laws, it can't be resolved like that," Lopez Obrador said on his morning television show.
"We have to convince the U.S. government that there has to be cooperation for development and that we have to guarantee economic growth and employment in our country."
With mid-term elections in November, immigration has become an extremely sensitive issue in the United States. Congress is locked in debate over rival proposals which range from granting immigrants an amnesty to declaring them criminals, and Hispanic groups are on the move.
SHOWDOWN
The showdown on reform is being closely watched in Mexico and could become a major issue in the election campaign.
With two months to go, Lopez Obrador is in a tight race with conservative candidate Felipe Calderon of the ruling National Action Party.
Lopez Obrador became Mexico's most popular politician when he served as mayor of Mexico City and held a big lead in opinion polls for three years, but he has slumped in the past month after a series of mistakes that included refusing to join a televised debate with the other candidates .
A new poll in the Milenio newspaper on Tuesday showed Calderon taking the lead with 36 percent support, three points ahead of his left-wing rival. Another poll last week also showed Calderon ahead.
Lopez Obrador is promising to end two decades of U.S.-backed free market reforms in Mexico and create jobs by spending heavily on infrastructure projects.
Critics say he could wreck Mexico's hard-won financial stability and upset its close ties with Washington but Lopez Obrador insists he would keep more Mexicans at home by boosting economic growth.
"Mexico is the main exporter of workers in the world. That is an embarrassment," Lopez Obrador said, adding the country needs U.S. support in developing its economy.
If elected, he also said Mexico's 45 consulates in the United States would be more active in defending Mexicans "against mistreatment, discrimination and the violation of their human rights."
Mexican President Vicente Fox has also made U.S. immigration reform his main foreign policy goal. Analysts say any deal in the U.S. Congress that helps immigrants would be a major victory for Fox and boost Calderon's chances.
"Migration flows can not be stopped. Even if they build walls, even if there are raids, even if there are more severe laws"
IN YOUR FACE AMERICA@
Were I in the White House, I might consider that a threat of invasion.
Hmm, "to guarantee economic growth and employment" would be nice, in any country!
Sorry Lopez, we can't help you until you rid your OWN country of the rampant corruption.
AMLO wants to export COMMUNISM to the U.S. We can not allow this.
Lopez will refuse to sell oil to the US unless we 'pay' to fix Mexico. Their terms, our dime. In the real world it would be called extortion.
I think we can help in the issue. If we are to merge with Mexico and Canada, let it be on OUR terms, not some elite socialist ones.
Icelander is right. May day was more successful than anyone could imagine. Every politician from dogcatcher to the President is now drooling over this massive voter block. Legal citizens sit by and watch as their voting power vanishes. Law biding people will remain the new nomad class that moves from suburb to suburb looking for the American dream and moving again once it has been destroyed by corrupt politicians.
Lopez will buy weapons from Russia and China, and allow Russian and Chinese oil companies to drill offshore with Pemex and Citgo.
Oh yes they can. If we heavily fine employers who hire illegals, cut off all their welfare freebies, and repeal the anchor baby laws there'd be no reason for any of them to either stay or come in the first place -- they'd be jobless, broke, and their prolific breeding wouldn't yield automatic citizenship for their offspring.
If we truly "reform" immigration, that would mean we crack down on the criminal invasion. But I don't think that's what they mean.
"Migration flows are not wanted stopped.
This is the second thread you have posted this in? Do you have comments?
How about the "Clean up your own cesspool Act of 2006"?
"Mexico is the main exporter of workers in the world. That is an embarrassment," Lopez Obrador said, adding the country needs U.S. support in developing its economy.
At least one candidate sees a bit of the light. Fox gives the appearance of just wanting America to allow all his citizens in and give them freebies. He doesn't even care to address the problem from a mexico viewpoint.
""Migration flows can not be stopped. Even if they build walls, even if there are raids, even if there are more severe laws" "
I thought Leftists built walls to keep their people in.
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