Everyone is up in arms about the United States and its immigration reform. President Vicente Fox of Mexico has spent 5 years urging Americans to legalize more Mexican immigrants. But what is his policy on immigration into Mexico?
It's actually very strict. (My information comes from a June 5th Newsweek article, "Stepping Over the Line.") Mexicans cheered President Fox on sending soldiers down to their southern border to lessen immigration. Since 1974, a person caught sneaking into Mexico can spend up to 2 years in prison. The Mexican government has only given legal status to 15,000 foreigners without papers in the past 5 years.
Hypocritical? Yes. How can so many Mexicans be trying to get the U.S. to loosen its foreign policy when they're cheering on their own president for cutting down immigration?
Let's say a person from Central America, or even a more southern country is tryong to immigrate to America. They will have to get through Mexico before they can reach America. And that ioften risks their own life. If they get caught by Mexican authorities, they will go to jail, and sometimes the government forgets about them and they end up in jail longer than 2 years. I don't believe this is fair.
Now my own opinion towards the U.S. and immigration is that I support many immigrants. I believe that if they are just trying to better themselves, then why not let them come here? It's difficult, expensive, and very time-consuming to come here via the legal route.
That said, I think Mexico should ease up on its immigration policy. President Fox cannot tell us to grant citizenship to his citizens if he won't grant citizenship to any illegals in his country.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
