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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | May 2006 
Mexico Reacts Cautiously to Border Plan
 Laurence Iliff - Dallas Morning News
| | A man in Mexico looks up at the border fence separating the U.S. and Mexico where it extends into the Pacific Ocean after a storm caused damage to the fence in San Diego in this January 3, 2006 file photo. Bush's plan to put troops on the U.S.-Mexico border to stem illegal migrants met mixed reactions in stressed border states -- from support in Arizona to skepticism in California and New Mexico to outrage among Hispanic activists. (Reuters/Fred Greaves) |
Mexico City - The Mexican government reacted cautiously Monday to President Bush's decision to send more National Guard troops to the border, but some analysts called the proposal "militarization" and predicted a widespread outcry.
President Vicente Fox's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said Fox told Bush that enforcement is not the answer to the immigration issue and that a broad accord is needed to allow Mexicans to work legally in the United States.
"Our position is clear," Aguilar said, but he noted that Bush's action was a "sovereign decision."
The spokesman said that Bush had promised Fox not to use National Guard troops to directly intercept illegal immigrants but rather to support other operations.
"President Bush was very clear, precise that there would not be militarization along the border ... that they were considering the possibility of the use of the National Guard in administrative tasks and logistical support," said Aguilar.
"Those who would continue with the routine tasks in the labors that are assigned to the border police in the United States would be the very border police," said Aguilar, referring to the Border Patrol.
Bush and Fox spoke on Sunday after the Mexican president became concerned over news reports about the U.S. government's plans to send troops to the border.
But Alfredo Quijano, deputy editor at the Ciudad Juarez newspaper Norte, said that even the current, limited use of the National Guard along the U.S. border has resulted in shooting incidents and accidents over the years.
More troops would only multiply those incidents, he said.
"This is not a natural disaster and this is not a military conflict, and (the Guard) is not trained for this. The border is a very difficult situation," said Quijano. "The Border Patrol is much more prudent. But these troops are taught to use force as the first option."
While the Mexican government uses its military on the southern border with Guatemala, those troops are involved exclusively in fighting drug traffickers, Quijano said.
The front-running presidential candidate, Felipe Calderon of Fox's National Action Party, recognized the right of the United States to protect its border, but said heavy U.S. focus on security had failed to solve the immigration issue. Rather, the crackdowns, like the one proposed by Bush on Monday, "increase the social and human costs for immigrants and only benefit criminal groups," he said.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza said that while the United States is sensitive to Mexican concerns, ultimately Bush's responsibility is to Americans.
"The United States has the right as a sovereign nation to make our border region more secure," he said in a statement Monday. "The president is the Commander in Chief of the United States, and his responsibilities include ensuring the safety of the American people." |
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