Mexican President Felipe Calderon has been making a big splash here lately. I’m wondering if our authorities checked his credentials when he entered the country. Probably not. Racial profiling and all that. You know.
But the major news channels all dutifully trumpeted and broadcast his address to Congress, in which he lectured America on how we should conduct our immigration policy.
After complimenting us on our history and standing in the world, Calderon stated emphatically his disapproval of Arizona’s recent announcement that the state will more strictly enforce our laws. He paraphrased President Obama’s earlier remarks about the Arizona stance not being reflective of America’s moral code and ethical standards.
You may have seen the reaction on TV: Speaker Pelosi jumped to her feet and applauded wildly, at which the whole left side of the hall (the Democrat side) also stood and applauded, while the whole right side (the Republican side, of course) sat stolid and non-approving — much the same reaction as that of our Supreme Court judges when Obama chided them in front of the world for a decision he disagreed with.
Even without any approval or support from the right side of Congress, I’m sure both presidents were gratified by their mutual support of each other and Calderon’s lecturing statements, which would immediately and repeatedly be spread abroad by the obedient media.
But amazingly, the Mexican president, after a congratulatory visit to the White House, granted one in-person TV interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN.
He probably deeply regrets doing that now.
To his great credit, Blitzer really pinned Calderon down on his own country’s immigration policies and enforcement of its laws. Blitzer had actually read Mexico’s laws — which have been, and are, far tougher on illegals entering their country than America’s are on illegals here!
That's never been a secret. Surely you, like I, have read the horror stories about Americans stranded in Mexico after money and passports were lost or stolen. And about the extortion by authorities, and imprisonments in notorious Mexican jails and, in the last several years, the disappearance and murders of visitors by rampant criminal gangs.
I remember several fact-based TV movies about tourists being extricated from prisons in Mexico, once by a heroic helicopter rescue. Even our government has advised against “spring break” visits to Mexico by exuberant American college students — because of real dangers caused by rampant lawlessness, corruption, drug cartels, and renegade gangs, armed to the teeth and threatening even to Mexican law enforcement.
But the truth about Mexico's immigration laws are becoming more widely revealed and known now. And in his interview with Blitzer, Calderon—stammering at times, looking for the right words — had to admit it.
What are some of the provisions of Mexican immigration law?
*Immigrants must speak Mexico’s language.
*No bilingual programs in schools, no special ballots for elections, and all government business must be conducted in Spanish
*Foreigners will never be able to hold political office.
*Foreigners will not have the right to vote no matter how long they’re in Mexico; Article 33 states “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”
*Mexican authorities are ordered to keep track of every single person in the country.
*Foreigners will not be a burden to taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no healthcare, or other government assistance programs.
*Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned.
*Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons.
*A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison.
Basically, and undeniably, under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law of Population says: “A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally.” (Article 123)
And so it goes. Wolf Blitzer questioned Calderon about these things, even quoting The Washington Times: “Under the Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. Mexicans who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals.”
Wolf asked Calderon directly, “Is that true?”
Calderon answered, “It was true, but it is not anymore — since one year ago.”
But when Blitzer went on to ask if people from Central America could just walk in, Calderon answered, “No. They need to fulfill a form. They need to establish their right name. We analyze if they have a criminal precedent.”
Then Blitzer asked, “Do Mexican police go around asking for papers of people they suspect are illegal immigrants?”
And Calderon responded, “Of course. Of course, in the border, we are asking the people, who are you?” And when Blitzer pressed further — asking if people who had “sneaked in” from a southern country can get a job and go to work — Calderon answered “No, no. If somebody do that without permission, we send back... we send them back.”
And this man is standing in front of our Congress, and with our president in the White House, lecturing us? Criticizing us and denigrating us for daring to enforce the laws already on our books, laws that are not as strict or punitive as his own?
Friend, what has happened in Mexico over the last many years — the near total breakdown of legal structure and the capacity of their law enforcement to preserve order and security — is a direct result of their failure to stop criminal behavior and corruption from the top to the bottom of their society. I’ve said it here before, and it needs to be said again. Laws not enforced are meaningless, and encourage the deterioration of all law.
Calderon and Mexico are experiencing their own brand of “tea party,” the grassroots population-wide revolt against their government and oppression and corruption. But, instead of our Constitution-based, peaceful, and electoral tea party, theirs is a veritable witches’ brew of crime, violence, drug traffic — and the wholesale illegal departure of 15 million of their citizens desperate to escape to something better.
Mr. Calderon, go back to your own country and keep trying to clean up your own house. We Americans are about to clean up ours at the polls. Our tea party is “We the people.”
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