Mexico and the 'Roots' of Illegal Immigration

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Yesterday, the Senate voted for 300 miles of triple-layered fencing across the Mexican border; the House of Representatives wants triple that. Mexican President Vicente Fox and Central American leaders say that won't stop illegal immigration. Millions of mostly Mexican immigrants come to the US illegally, but there's no doubting the energy, imagination and enterprise it takes to get here. Why can't Mexico make use of this massive human resource, so its workers don't have to leave their families and risk their lives? In the midst of a presidential election, polls show many Mexicans fear their country is falling apart. Can a weak government be rescued by new leaders or do the problems go deeper than that? Is it economics rather than politics? Are there cultural issues dating back to European colonization? Making News: UN Committee against Torture Wants Guantanamo Prison ClosedThe United States should close its prison at Guant--namo Bay, and avoid all secret detention in the war on terror. That's the conclusion of the United Nations' Committee on Torture after deliberations in Geneva. Tim Golden, who reports for the New York Times, has more on the UN report and the Bush Administration's response.Reporter's Notebook: Senate Votes to Make English America's National LanguageRepublican Senator James Inhofe speaks fluent Spanish, but he's the author of a bill to make English the "national" language of the US. It passed the Senate yesterday on a vote of 63-to-34 as an amendment to what's called "comprehensive immigration reform." Only Democrats and Vermont's Independent Jim Jeffords voted no. How did that happen? What does it mean? Frank James covers Washington for the Chicago Tribune.
Yesterday, the Senate voted for 300 miles of triple-layered fencing across the Mexican border; the House of Representatives wants triple that. Mexican President Vicente Fox and Central American leaders say that won't stop illegal immigration. Millions of mostly Mexican immigrants come to the US illegally, but there's no doubting the energy, imagination and enterprise it takes to get here. Why can't Mexico make use of this massive human resource, so its workers don't have to leave their families and risk their lives? In the midst of a presidential election, polls show many Mexicans fear their country is falling apart. Can a weak government be rescued by new leaders or do the problems go deeper than that? Is it economics rather than politics? Are there cultural issues dating back to European colonization?
  • Making News: UN Committee against Torture Wants Guantanamo Prison Closed
    The United States should close its prison at Guant--namo Bay, and avoid all secret detention in the war on terror. That's the conclusion of the United Nations' Committee on Torture after deliberations in Geneva. Tim Golden, who reports for the New York Times, has more on the UN report and the Bush Administration's response.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Senate Votes to Make English America's National Language
    Republican Senator James Inhofe speaks fluent Spanish, but he's the author of a bill to make English the "national" language of the US. It passed the Senate yesterday on a vote of 63-to-34 as an amendment to what's called "comprehensive immigration reform." Only Democrats and Vermont's Independent Jim Jeffords voted no. How did that happen? What does it mean? Frank James covers Washington for the Chicago Tribune.

UN Committee against Torture concludes 36th Session

New York Times article on UN call for closure of Guant--namo Prison

Senate Immigration Reform Act (S 2611; see pg 13 for fence, pg 277 for English)

Pew Research Center on Immigration

Dresser's (San Jose Mercury-News) article on Mexicans' longing for a future

Senator Inhofe's statement on English-language legislation

James' article on Senate vote on language

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Warren Olney