Uncovering Mexico
Jeremy Schwartz is the Mexico correspondent for Cox Newspapers. He is based in Mexico City.What's on this page?
The entry titled "Immigration advocates: Mexico "criminalizing" Central Americans."
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Immigration advocates: Mexico “criminalizing” Central Americans
Mexico’s immigration authority has set off howls from immigrant-rights advocates by announcing plans to fingerprint and photograph the mostly Central American migrants that pass through its detention facilities.
Human rights groups say the new rules show Mexico is treating migrants like criminals, and they are adding them to a list of grievances: Authorities along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala have long been accused of robbing and attacking Central Americans and human rights groups have decried conditions in Mexico’s detention facilities.
Many have accused Mexican authorities of hypocrisy: demanding fair treatment of Mexicans who cross illegally into the United States while providing less than stellar treatment to the legion of Central Americans who pass through the country on their way north.
“One can understand the need to keep track of the people that pass through the immigration stations, but not to treat them like criminals, because that means punishing poverty and that is unacceptable for a country like Mexico,” reads this morning’s editorial in El Universal. “Our policy should be respect for human rights; punishing criminals yes, but not turning our immigration facilities into ‘guantanamos’ or ‘abu-graibs’ in training.’”
Mexican officials say the new rules represent an important technological advance and aren’t meant to criminalize migrants.
Comments
By AmericanCitizen
October 8, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this
Calderon chastises the U.S. for it’s treatment of illegal aliens while simultaneously attacking illegal aliens coming into Mexico from Central America. This country and a large part of the rest of the world are having these immigration problems because of profiteering scum like Bush Sr. and Jr., Calderon, Fox, BuyASenator, Clinton’s, D.C. Lobbyist, Wal-Mart, and the list goes on. Let’s do the world a favor and attack this problem at it’s root. Political corruption destroys not just us, but everyone.
By Mike D.
October 8, 2007 9:48 PM | Link to this
Hey Jeremy. I am currently takening an immigration policy class at UC Santa Cruz. Is it true that the Mexican government is treating migrating central americans as criminals because they are expecting foreign funding from the US in return? Is there any possible solution to stop the mistreatment of these immigrants?
By Justicia
October 9, 2007 12:10 AM | Link to this
I love how Vicente Fox points his finger at the US and cries racism when this is going on virtually unnoticed on the Mexico/Guatemala border. It underscores the self-serving motives behind the Mexican government’s demands for immigration reform. They want immigration - but only because they’ve become economically dependant on the inflow of US dollars from undocumented workers in the US. PATHETIC.
By LadyM
October 9, 2007 5:10 AM | Link to this
Just shows the total hypocrisy of Calderon. America should open it’s borders and welcome every illegal that sneaks into the US, but his government can protect it’s borders.
Just another two faced hypocritcal politician!!
By John
October 9, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this
Read this article…California Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer has attached an amendment to a spending bill that will block federal immigration enforcement until after the 2010 census.
http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/10/senboxertohaltimmigration.html
How dare these senator try to back door amendements. Durbin tried to with the Dream Act. We as Americans need to keep aware of what our so-called representatives are up to. Its usually always to protect the illegals. Disgusting!
By Jhf
October 10, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
I’m a retired BP Agent and don’t see the concern here. We “printed” and photographed most illegals that we apprehended. Why shouldn’t Mexico do the same? I do, however, see the rest of the hypocrisy in what the Mexican government does and what they expect us to do with illegals.