LatinaLista — The crux of the illegal immigration problem lies south of the border. That’s not news. But that the solution lies on both sides of the border is evidently still news to some politicians — even those in very high office.
In an op-ed penned for Spot-On, a web-based syndication service which now carries my writings, and longer pieces than what will be found on Latina Lista, I explore this sad ignorance practiced by some American politicians who should know better.
The following is an excerpt of Solving Illegal Immigration Nation-to-Nation
The once white-hot issue of illegal immigration has taken a curious twist in American politics.
On the one hand, state and local politicians are using the polarizing topic as the foundation of their bids for public office.
But on the national level, presidential candidates try to distance themselves from that same issue. They pay just enough lip service to give the impression that they care about it, but not too much – not unless they’re campaigning in those pockets of the country directly impacted by the problems created by having undocumented residents.
To be fair, last year’s bipartisan partnership forged among Senators John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Jon Kyle, and fully supported by President Bush, which resulted in the crafting of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a good start at addressing the issue. That it was roundly defeated in Congress and its supporters have since tucked their tails between their legs and retreated is a disappointing commentary on where the issue now stands at the federal level. Just how loathe Washington is to touch the issue was underscored during the recent visit of Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon. Mexico’s president was received by state legislatures, governors and business groups but not by the White House where an invitation was never extended to the visiting head of state.
To be fair, last year’s bipartisan partnership forged among Senators John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Jon Kyle, and fully supported by President Bush, which resulted in the crafting of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a good start at addressing the issue. That it was roundly defeated in Congress and its supporters have since tucked their tails between their legs and retreated is a disappointing commentary on where the issue now stands at the federal level. Just how loathe Washington is to touch the issue was underscored during the recent visit of Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon. Mexico’s president was received by state legislatures, governors and business groups but not by the White House where an invitation was never extended to the visiting head of state.
Political analysts, on both sides of the border, noted how unusual that a foreign leader visiting another country would not be met by the president, even if it was an unofficial trip. It’s too bad because much is changing when it comes to immigration law in Mexico – and it’s at the U.S.’ behest.
If reforming the nation’s immigration system is to ever be fully realized, it has to be on the national level. Not with work site raids, family detention facilities, border walls and intimidation tactics by neighborhood law enforcement and local and state politicians but taking it to the next level where only national players can — through nation-to-nation cooperation with the one country where the majority of undocumented immigrants originate.
To continue reading Solving Immigration Nation-to-Nation, please continue at Spot-On.>
Comment(20)
Jax
This commentary is very interesting. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the undocumented / illegal aliens are precisely that and as such don’t belong in the United States. They should be rounded up and sent home and, obviously, they can take any children born in the US with them.
By the way, the government has every right to apply the law of eminent domain to border territory if it deems the taking to be in the public interest. Surely you can understand that protecting the border is in the public interest.
Frank
On the contrary, we are doing exactly what we should be doing to deter illegal immigration. Workplace enforcement, detention of illegals until their immigration hearings (although I would prefer they just get deported right away) and securing our border by any way possible which includes a wall/fence wherever it is feasible. It all works!
miguel
A bully in the worlds schoolyard. We have used our military might potential as the reason we have to be let into the world marble game for many years. During that time we have let the other world players own more and more of the US as they loan us the money to keep our status “with them”. We just announced that the $40 billion dollar contract for our Air Force tankers has been also farmed out to the EU. Boeing is out of it.
Turning our back on Calderon goes with us not dealing with Chavez or Morales in South America. We depend on so much of we get from the others in this marble game that we have forgotten who the marbles we are playing with belong to. We have farmed out so much that these other countries are going to get tired one day and pick up what they have loaned us and leave the game.
The three countries in our back yard that we continue to ignore could just start up a game of their own and become very powerful if they ever get over “their” immigration issues. They have all the natural resources, manpower and good weather that can allow them to dictate what they can charge for products and to whom they are willing to sell and at what price. The influence of China all over the world in what we consider 3rd world countries will in time make them realize they do hold all the marbles. Most of the world powers have chosen to limit their support for our international policies in our going halfway around the world for the wars we are in. The effects on our image and effects on our currency are indications that when the next game is formed, this bully might not be able to join the game.
I just hope the fence going up will not be used one day to keep us “in” as this country becomes more and more disconnected from the rest of the world.
Evelyn
Jorge Ramos: Silence Kills
Univision Online, Posted: Nov 28, 2007
MIAMI – Something terrible has happened in the United Statesii, writes Univision anchor and syndicated columnist Jorge Ramos. The undocumented, he writes, have replaced terrorists as the new enemy. In recent presidential debates, Ramos writes, candidates now spend more time attacking the undocumented than they do terrorists. The Bush administration, which used to talk of “compassion†for the undocumented, is now persecuting them with the worst raids in decades. “Osama ben Laden hasn’t been captured, but the undocumented Mexican Elvira Arellano has,†Ramos writes. And anti-immigrant voices are multiplying on conservative English-language radio and television, with no response from the left. There is no justification for the silence before this avalanche of attacks against Mexican immigrants, Ramos writes, citing the lack of a clear and effective pro-immigrant message from the Mexican government and immigrant rights groups.

This message, he writes, should include the following arguments: undocumented immigrants are neither criminals nor terrorists; they contribute more to the United States than they receive; they pay taxes; they create jobs; they take the jobs that Americans don’t want; they keep inflation low; they fill jobs of retired workers; they cook our food and build our houses; they strengthen family values; and they could be our best allies in the fight against the terrorists. It’s true that they broke the law but so did the millions of Americans and thousands of companies that hired them. 

The lesson of Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, holds true today, Ramos writes: “Indifference is the greatest danger of all.†The United States can and must recover that marvelous tradition of open arms to foreigners and to those less fortunate. That is what it means to be truly “American,†he concludes.
Frank
Funny isn’t it that Lou Dobbs is considered racist and spewing hate speech according to some but these same people will consider Jorge Ramos’ statements above to be considered to be gospel truth.
In fact if anything were to be quoted by Dobbs in this blog and agreed with one would be called a racist for that but agreeing with Ramos would not. “One man’s truth is another man’s lie”. The truth is in the eyes of the beholder and we are all entitled to believe what we want to believe without being called names for it.
Evelyn
It looks like flaunting what you believe will get you called what you are every time!
I found 41 articles that agree with Jorge Ramos and his views on Lou Lies Dobbs. Yup he is a bigot! He flaunts it every night on TV, so he cant get mad when he gets called a racist.
He also likes to lie.
I cant post them all, but here are five.
Lou Dobbs Fuels American Immigration Paranoia
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5591
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CNN Stands By Lou Dobbs’ Racist Fantasies
http://www.huffingpost.com/alex-Koppleman/cnn-stands-by-lou-dobbs-_b_21617.html
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Lou Dobbs, Racist?
http://aiross.blogspot.com/2006/03/lou-dobbs-racist.html
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Lou Dobbs’ Beef With Mexico
http://vivirlatino.com/2005/10/13/lou-dobbs-beef-with-mexico.php
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Lou Dobbs Blatantly Racist
http://seclists.org/politech/2003/Dec/0020.html
Frank
Some people/groups choose to believe people like Lou Dobbs, some people choose to believe people like Jorge Ramos. It doesn’t make either of them more credible than the other one. No matter what an “individual” chooses to believe they are entitled to their opinion and shouldn’t get called names for their beliefs. As I have always said, for myself personally, I form my own opinions, nobody influences me. My views are based on the rule of law.
Evelyn
Someone show me 5 articles that say Jorge Ramos is a liar and a racist!
The only people willing to defend Lou lies Dobbs are the rest of the bigots and liars that agree with him.
Frank
It matters not who believes what a certain person says. It is all a matter of our own perspective and we are all entitled to our opnions without being called vile names for it.
Horace
Home again, home again, lickety split………..
Van with 22 immigrants breaks down on U.S. 60
Blisters and cactus thorns covered their feet
Kendall Wright
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 6, 2008 12:35 PM
Phoenix Immigration and Customs Enforcement took 22 undocumented immigrants into custody Thursday morning after their van broke down on McClintock Drive and the U.S. 60.
When police arrived on the scene, the driver of the vehicle had fled, I.C.E. spokesman Vincent Picard said. Three of the undocumented immigrants were taken to the hospital, and Picard said many looked as if they had recently crossed the border because their feet were covered in blisters and cactus thorns.
He said the immigrants have been taken in for questioning and it is still unclear as to their country of origin.
Horace
“It’s true that they broke the law but so did the millions of Americans and thousands of companies that hired them. 

The lesson of Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, holds true today, Ramos writes: “Indifference is the greatest danger of all.†The United States can and must recover that marvelous tradition of open arms to foreigners and to those less fortunate. That is what it means to be truly “American,†he concludes.”
So, because others broke the law gives justification to illegal aliens breaking the law. I’d like to hear the bank robber justify his actions based upon the fact that others have done so. Mexicans in their own country seem to show indifference to their own people, so why should illegal aliens expect better in a foreign land. The Mexican government’s only solution is to conspire to deport its own citizens to bring in a good portion of its national income. Hispanics would do well to remedy the shame of this, before they blame the U.S. for acting in what it considers its best interests. This is the most condescending and illogical crap I’ve ever heard. After hearing this pathetic crap, is it no wonder that our politicians are enacting state laws against illegal aliens.
This shows the culteral abyss between Europeans who believe in self-sufficiency and the Latin Americans who’ve become arrogant demanding beggars in their own hemisphere. Whatever happened to their testicles?
Evelyn
The only people willing to defend Lou lies Dobbs are the rest of the bigots and liars that agree with him.
Frank
The people who are willing to defend the NCLR’s claim of “hate speech” against law abiding Americans are also bigots and liars. Touche!
Evelyn
Horace
You should look for yours instead of wondering what happened to theirs.
It’s no secret that racist dont have any, that is why they were given BIG Mouths, to compensate.
Horace
I’ll take your answer as being unresponsive to may comment. It’s truly funny Evelyn, that the Mexican people would rather let themselves be driven out of their own land than stand up against the injustices imposed upon them by the Mexican elites and ruling patrons. Until they do, their cojones will continue to shrink. This is a fact even you can’t dispute. I can’t imagine that U.S. citizens would ever stand for the same crap year after year. People like you, with your patronizing positions, serve as enablers of the continued surpression of the Mexican people. Your pity of them will serve only to assure that those who remain in Mexico will continue their serf-like status for decades to come. Still proud to be Mexican? If so what do you have to be proud of? I can predict your response now. I’ll put it in quotes: “You’re a racist, a bigot, a xenophobe, etc.”
Frank
Hmm, seems like thousands of pro-amnestias had some pretty big mouths at the marches.
Seems like the NCLR had a pretty big mouth yelling about “hate speech”.
Evelyn
You forgot to add master manipulator to the three names you used to define yourself Horace. LOL!
Publius
“The lesson of Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, holds true today, Ramos writes: “Indifference is the greatest danger of all.†The United States can and must recover that marvelous tradition of open arms to foreigners and to those less fortunate. That is what it means to be truly “American,†he concludes.”
If Americans are indifferent to the fate of Mexican illegal aliens, then so are their countrymen in Mexico. Not one word of criticism for the Mexican government or the callous rich Mexicans indifference to those who immigrate to the north. This man’s loyalty clearly lies with Mexico. Americans are tired of hearing criticism from Hispanics who let their homeland off the hook for its irresponsible behavior. Not one word of criticism for those in Mexico who are indifferent to the fate of the 80 million who remain in their homeland. If Mexico doesn’t care, then why should we. Shame on those advocates who are indifferent to the fate of Mexico itself.
Frank
“The United States must recover that marvelous tradition of open arms to foreigners and those less fortunate”
First of all we do allow in more than a million legal immigrants per year so we haven’t “lost” our tradition as suggested above. Second, this isn’t the early 1900’s when we were still a vast and open frontier. We have over 300 million people in this country now. Third, if we followed the logic in the quote, every poor foreigner from all over the world should be allowed to come to our country to live. Oh, that’s a pretty picture, isn’t it? Fourth, we are now a sovereign nation with borders and laws. They must be honored by potential immigrants.
Evelyn
Publius
So your line of thought is that because Mexicans behave in an inappropriate way, Americans should also behave inappropriately? I disagree. I believe we are better than that.
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