We don't post a lot of politics here on Neatorama, so pardon me for this post about the new and controversial Arizona law that forced local police to check whether a person is an illegal immigrant (presumably from Mexico).
Critics contend that the law will lead to racial profiling. Even Mexican President Felipe Calderón has blasted the law as violating basic human rights.
Whether you agree with the law or not, here's the point of this post: it turns out that despite its bluster, Mexico actually has very similar laws on its book against the country's own Honduran illegal immigrants!
Mexico's Foreign Ministry said the law "violates inalienable human rights" and Democrats in Congress applauded Mexican President Felipe Calderón's criticisms of the law in a speech he gave on Capitol Hill last week.
Yet Mexico's Arizona-style law requires local police to check IDs. And Mexican police freely engage in racial profiling and routinely harass Central American migrants, say immigration activists. [...]
"There (in the United States), they'll deport you," Hector Vázquez, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, said as he rested in a makeshift camp with other migrants under a highway bridge in Tultitlán. "In Mexico they'll probably let you go, but they'll beat you up and steal everything you've got first."
Chris Hawley of USA Today has the full story: Link (Photo: Sergio Solache/USA Today)
Not emulate the bad policies of corrupt countries.
Hola, many kudos for your piece as well! For me you stated a very interesting insight regarding the U.S. not being able to enforce its own immigration laws. And for Electrolatina, what already, is America supposed to be this big passive and permissive nation and not enforce laws?
As a U.S. natural citizen let me get this straight,:
A people who are as gentle as most illegals are and wish no attention get a bad rap from the gangs, the drug wars, tattoos, and prison exposes~ this is sad. But what's even sadder are the 2000 US citizens killed last year by the violent illegals---Google it---and that's not counting the assaults.rapes and theft...much less the drug trafficking....
The USA BATF (Bureau of Alc/Tobacco//Firearms also showed that less than 10% of the firearms used at the border origiginated from the U.S. Most imported from China and Ukranian/Russian/Romanian surplus of origin. Don't give me this crap that the U.S.A. is the deriviteve of gang weapons. It's EXTREMELY difficult to own a fully automatic weapon in the USA---and very expensive--legally but that's the point, right? Yhe bad guys don't OWN them legally.
There's a sentiment in the Latino community that they will take this country over again (Santa Anna dropped the ball...) and that we stole it. (Gringo typing) but again, it was 160 years ago...let it go...besides, the last time I checked, less than 8% of Mexicos roads were paved...yeah, that's progress.
And they want to tell us what to do. I'm living in an alternate reality anymore. What is up is down and what's down is up. And we keep on supporting it...Rome fell for a reason, Spain turned into a backwater and the British realized they got too top heavey as well...sigh...
Rbro
illegal in Mexico 1st offense= 2years in prison
second attempt= 10 years in prison
China= Shot on sight
N. Korea= Shot on sight
And the list could go on...Canada wants my passport for a 'F***ing country I was BORN in and for the sake of arguement I've been in the US for 30 years.
Oh... forget it... you are right
While we whine about the new Arizona law we treat those who come into México from all of central america (not just Honduras) worst than Arizona treats mexicans.
Yes, we are as wrong (or even more wrong) as Arizona, but that doesn't mean that BOTH laws are wrong.
The real reason the AZ law is wrong has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. It has to do with the fact that the law makes a blanked assumption of guilt. So all ppl end up being in danger of being treated as guilty illegals. Which means any lawful US citizen can be treated like a criminal. And that is against the constitution (read amendments), where we are all innocent until proven guilty.
"Give me your poor, your huddled masses, but in a light shade of pink, please, if you may."
I'm really disappointed by the decision to include this position on this blog...like super unhappy about it. It makes me think differently of the purpose of this site...sigh...
The law in AZ is not WRONG. Go live there and deal with the downside of all the ILLEGALs there and see how you feel about it afterwards.
Mexico would never be as lax toward illegals as the USA is. And they are total hypocrits to condemn AZ's law or American federal law or scream ''racism''. After all, whose country is this?! It's America. Like it or not. It belongs to Americans. You here without proper documentation? Then, you are here ILLEGALLY.
When a policeman stops you for drunk driving, how is it racial profiling for him to then ask you for ID? Stop the lies. It isn't.
When you cross a border, the border police check you out, right? They check your car, they check your papers and they can dismantle your car if they feel like they have reason to. America has to maintain her right to do the same. And if you really think that Americans should be footing the bill for people who live here illegally, I'd like to know how you justify that.
Mexico needs to learn to take care of its OWN citizens. Of course they don't care much about their own citizens but shhhhh, don't say it to loud.
1. Immigration to the US is not a right.
2. The US allows over a million legal immigrants each year.
3. Our immigration limits are based on the country's capacity to provide services, employment, etc... to a finite number of people.
4. Should we tell all the legal immigrants from Europe, Africa, Canada, etc... that we can't take them now because our capacity has been exceeded (& their places taken) by illegal immigrants from Latin America?
As long as the people in the high places make rich people richer and poor people poorer, people will continue to cross to the USA.
And the other thing that was mentioned is true too, mexican militia treat like garbage people from Guatemala, El Salvador, etc. They are forced to sing the national anthem and after that they get a beating, and yet people complain at the arizona law? That demonstrates that people are fast to point fingers anywhere but don't look after their own mess.
One thing I don't agree with Eddyslick is the phrase "You blew it with your drugs". You should look around, the "white" people in your country consume A LOT of drugs, not just illegal you know?
The point is, why should I be profiled as a Mestiza, a person who looks Mexican but whose ancestors have lived in New Mexico and Arizona before Yankees even knew this part of the country existed? My grandfather was deported in the 1920s for looking Mexican even though his family had been in New Mexico since the 1600s, tell me how these laws are fair?
The law is not about immigration but about singling out people based on someone's subjective perception of their lawful status, all based on their coloring or race. It's wrong that Arizona has decided to do this and it's wrong if Mexico or any other country, like Nazi Germany does it either.
1) What constitutes probable cause for an officer to question someone's immigration status? Or will they just ask everyone they detain in the course of their duties?
2) If proof of citizenship must be shown to an officer upon request, then must all citizens now carry such proof?
gringo no like the hispanico with attitude.
we ARE prepared to defend what is ours.
we WELCOME you if you desire to be American, but when you whine that "we took it from you" that invalidates your argument.
ps.....Americans have an equivalent to La Raza, it is called the KKK. just putting it in perspective.
Who's talking about reconquest? Geesh! As I said, my family has been living in Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico for the past 400 years. So, smarty-pants we never left, we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us. We were conquered by you guys and all your guns and diseases. So now we are all part of the United States. I'm fine with that but don't tell me I have to prove that I'm in the right country when my family was here probably at least three hundred years before yours.
Also, I suggest you learn proper English, that beautiful common language we all speak, before you boast of your cultural superiority. Funny that all your "bluster" is backed by talk of your guns and propensity for violence. Such typical double-standards and hypocrisy. Tsk...