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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | October 2007 
Immigration Advocates: Mexico “Criminalizing” Central Americans
 Jeremy Schwartz - Austin American-Statesman
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 |  | Our policy should be respect for human rights; punishing criminals yes, but not turning our immigration facilities into ‘guantanamos’ or ‘abu-graibs’ in training.’
- El Universal editorial |  | |
Mexico’s immigration authority has set off howls from immigrant-rights advocates by announcing plans to fingerprint and photograph the mostly Central American migrants that pass through its detention facilities.
Human rights groups say the new rules show Mexico is treating migrants like criminals, and they are adding them to a list of grievances: Authorities along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala have long been accused of robbing and attacking Central Americans and human rights groups have decried conditions in Mexico’s detention facilities.
Many have accused Mexican authorities of hypocrisy: demanding fair treatment of Mexicans who cross illegally into the United States while providing less than stellar treatment to the legion of Central Americans who pass through the country on their way north.
“One can understand the need to keep track of the people that pass through the immigration stations, but not to treat them like criminals, because that means punishing poverty and that is unacceptable for a country like Mexico,” reads this morning’s editorial in El Universal. “Our policy should be respect for human rights; punishing criminals yes, but not turning our immigration facilities into ‘guantanamos’ or ‘abu-graibs’ in training.’”
Mexican officials say the new rules represent an important technological advance and aren’t meant to criminalize migrants. |
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