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 Editorials | January 2005 
Illegal-Immigration Tips from Mexico Stir Rancor
The "Guide for the Mexican Immigrant" resembles a comic book, with colorful sketches at every turn of the page. But the images are jarring.
 A beefy man, presumably a smuggler, pockets dollar bills from a pleading immigrant as other Mexicans are herded into a tractor-trailer. In another frame, an exhausted Mexican man slumps motionless in the desert sand.
The Mexican government produced the 34-page guide to advise its citizens how to survive if they decide to cross the border illegally, especially those who make the trek through the Southwest desert.
The booklet has raised a furor in Washington, with lawmakers and activists castigating it as an offensive how-to guide for sneaking into the country.
Experts and even immigrant advocates wonder if the Mexican government has committed a gaffe, just as Congress and President Bush prepare for the most heated debate in years over how to treat the estimated 5.3 million illegal immigrants from Mexico.
"You see something like this comic book, and you say, `What the hell are they thinking?' " said Luis Alberto Urrea, an author and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Is this a strategic move or is this an idiotic thing to do at the moment [Mexican President] Vicente Fox is trying to get some sway from Bush?"
Mexico began distributing the guide at the U.S. border in late December. Officials plan to print 1.5 million copies, mostly for use in Mexico, though a batch will be delivered to the Chicago consulate this month.
Mexican officials said they could not ignore the grim reality that more than 300 compatriots lost their lives crossing the border last year. The book, created by the Foreign Ministry, is part of a multifaceted campaign by the Fox administration to aid citizens who migrate northward.
With no sign that the death toll is decreasing, officials thought a comic-book format would present vivid and easy-to-understand information for immigrants who often lack formal schooling.
"Unfortunately, immigration is a phenomenon that exists. We are not inviting or aiding that," said Jose Humberto Castro, an official at the Mexican Consulate in Chicago. "But the people who do desire to come here need to take certain precautions. Fundamentally, the protection of their lives, that's what drives this book."
Not A Glamorized Portrait
The guide hardly makes border crossing seem glamorous. In addition to the unnerving cartoons, the text, in Spanish, notes that "the safe way to enter another country" is with a passport and visa.
The guide also warns against using false documents or lying to authorities, noting that immigrants could face federal charges and wind up in jail.
But immigration foes point to the sections offering advice on how to stay out of trouble once they cross the border.
In addition to advice such as always driving with a seat belt, the guide suggests: "Avoid noisy parties, the neighbors could become annoyed and call the police and you could be arrested."
The guide also advises immigrants crossing the desert that, "if you get lost, guide yourself by light poles, railroad tracks or dirt roads."
On pages 4 and 5, a drawing shows three men wading into a river with their shoes tied around their neck by the laces. The guide says water crossings are "very risky" and suggests removing thick clothes that could become heavy if wet.
Researchers report a surge of illegal immigration from Mexico to Chicago in the last decade. At least 400,000 undocumented immigrants live in Illinois, the majority from Mexico, according to government estimates.
Urrea, author of "The Devil's Highway," a book about 14 Mexicans who died crossing the Arizona desert in 2001, said the guide will revive the debate about whether Mexico has any real intention of stopping illegal border crossing.
Urrea said Mexican officials know all too well that their nation needs the billions of dollars sent home by immigrants from the United States each year.
"My gut feeling is that Mexico is happy to benefit from the money coming back from Skokie and all these places," Urrea said. "Every single warning that I know of from the Mexican government doesn't say, `Don't do it.' It says, `Watch out.'"
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who heads a congressional caucus that supports stricter immigration controls, sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell asking him to register a formal complaint.
Tancredo made the claim that the manual would be useful to "would-be terrorists" looking to enter and blend into American culture.
A spokesman for Tancredo said the booklet has outraged lawmakers normally not passionate about immigration.
"A foreign government is teaching their citizens how to break our laws. It's pretty shocking," spokesman Carlos Espinosa said. "It's like saying that a lot of people are dying from drunk driving so we're going to teach you how to drive drunk better."
Hot Issue In Washington
The flap comes as immigration reform emerges as a hot-button issue. A core group of congressional Republicans has vowed to oppose Bush's proposal to provide temporary work visas for immigrants. Several GOP lawmakers also want to ban illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses.
The appearance of the booklet at this delicate moment has some immigrant advocates concerned.
Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, said she might have advised the Mexican government not to publish the booklet but she understands the concern over the border deaths.
In the end, Kelley said, the booklet shows the need for more effective ways to manage the flow of immigrants seeking jobs in the United States.
"Does it help the debate? No. I think of it as an unfortunate distraction," Kelley said. "We can criticize the Mexican government for publishing the comic book, but it's up to us to publish laws that are actually going to be followed."
At the Mexican Consulate, 204 S. Ashland Ave., immigrants had heard about the guide but were not sure if it was a good idea.
Manuel Amezcua, 20, a Waukegan resident who crossed the border illegally, said he worried that the advice "might encourage immigrants to make the trip. In a way, they are getting tips. But they shouldn't come."
His friend Martin Calderon, 19, gave Mexico credit for trying to protect its citizens. Calderon said he had a friend who nearly died in the Arizona desert after being assaulted and robbed by smugglers.
But Calderon said Mexico should concentrate on pushing for an immigration accord that would increase the number of legal visas.
"People are going to come, book or no book, because the need is there," Calderon said. "This is the country where they can improve their lives."
Oscar Avila - Chicago Tribune |
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