An 8-Point Plan to Repair the US-Mexico Border

Huffington Post: Ten years ago, in 2005, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security introduced its Secure Border Initiative (SBI). Today, the Mexico-U.S. wall is a fact of everyday life for millions of people who live in its shadow.

Disagreements persist about how effective the border fortifications have been, but two outcomes are certain: the SBI intervention has massively disrupted community, commerce, and environment along the border zone; and created a bloated 'border industrial complex,' consisting of surveillance infrastructures and enforcement personnel that intervene in the lives of U.S. citizens even though they are intended to target undocumented migrants, smugglers, and terrorists. Read more.

Federal Judge Rules Obama Immigration Measures Unconstitutional

Latin American Herald Tribune:  A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Tuesday ruled unconstitutional President Barack Obama’s recent executive action to temporarily protect from deportation more than five million undocumented foreigners, the decision coming as part of a court decision on the case of a Honduran immigrant charged with DUI.

Judge Arthur Schwab, appointed to the bench by former Republican President George W. Bush, justified his ruling on the legality of the presidential decree because the accused in the DUI case, 42-year-old Elionardo Juarez-Escobar, could – in his judgment – benefit from Obama’s executive action.  Read more.

Undocumented Cannot Count on Obama's Migration Initiative (La Jornada, Mexico)

WorldMeetsUS: President of the United States Barack Obama yesterday announced the adoption of a regularization plan to grant five to eleven million undocumented migrants living in the country legal status for the next two years. To take advantage of the change in requirements one must demonstrate having been in the United States for five years, the existence of children or dependent permanent residents in the U.S., with potential beneficiaries subject to a criminal background check. In the short term, the measure could halt the deportations of about 4 million people. Read more.

Mexican President Peña Nieto’s Ratings Slip with Economic Reform

Pew Research Center: Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has been praised internationally for his ambitious reforms of everything from the energy sector to education to telecommunications, but a new Pew Research Center survey in Mexico finds that domestically his positive image is faltering and a key component of his political agenda – economic reform – is decidedly unpopular.

Mexicans today are evenly divided in their opinion of Peña Nieto, as negative ratings of the president’s influence have increased by nine percentage points in the past year to 47%. Similarly, negative views of the national government and Congress, both led by Peña Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), have gone up by roughly the same share over the past year, though 57% still say the national government has a positive influence.  Read more. 

Will Syria Crisis Stifle Immigration Reform?

Frontera NorteSur
Immigration News
September 7, 2013

As the political crisis and debate intensify over Syria, immigrant advocates fear the issue of possible U.S. military action will delay comprehensive immigration reform in Washington.

At a Labor Day march this past week, Eric Garcetti, the new mayor of Los Angeles, said Syria could become a “distraction” for immigration reform. The leader of the nation’s second largest city contended that action on immigration legislation should be the top national priority at the moment.

On Capitol Hill, the looming vote on President Obama’s push for U.S. military action could make Republicans in particular even more skittish about tackling the controversial issue of immigration reform, according to a Republican political consultant.

“(Syria) is going to be a difficult vote, and I really doubt that they would want to take two difficult votes, especially if the second one is about immigration,” said consultant David Johnson. Although a comprehensive immigration reform bill passed the Senate earlier this year, corresponding action failed to gain traction in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

If a legislative delay on immigration reform emerges as one effect of the Syria crisis, it will be the third time in a dozen years that pending action was put on the political back-burner. In 2001, a movement in such a direction by U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox was derailed by the 9-11 attacks. Eight years later, as the Great Recession deepened, campaign promises of immigration reform by newly-elected President Barack Obama  took a back seat to health insurance reform and other issues.

Besides Syria, the politically thorny matter of the debt ceiling could complicate prospects for an immigration overhaul in the weeks and months ahead. Beltway talk is growing of a postponement of immigration reform until 2015 or even 2017, well after the next congressional and presidential elections.

Despite the sudden appearance of a new round of adverse political circumstances, immigrant rights activists in California, New Mexico and elsewhere are stepping up their mobilizations for a national legislative reform.

Building on an intense summer of activities at both the national and grassroots levels, immigrant advocacy and labor organizations have announced plans for demonstrationsOctober 5 in at least 60 U.S. cities.
Dubbed the “National Day of Dignity and Respect,” the protests are being organized to demand the passage of comprehensive immigration reform,  a halt to deportations, and an end to the militarization of the border with Mexico. Activists then plan to congregate for a mass demonstration in Washington, D.C. on October 8.

“We are not going to do this like in other years, and say, well, other things take priority,” said Jorge Mario Cabrera,  spokesman for the Los Angeles Immigrant Rights Coalition. “No, this time a lot has been given to bleeding, marching and voting, to not allow (immigration reform) happen.”

Sources: Noticiero Latino, September 6, 2013. Story  by Jose Lopez Zambrano. Nortedigital.com/El Universal, September 6, 2013. La Opinion, September 5, 2013. Article by Pilar Marrero.  Univision, September 2, 2013.


Frontera NorteSur: on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Immigration Reform Should Address Why People Leave

Huffington Post 
By Andrew Wainer
July 18, 2013

In June, the Senate approved the most far-reaching reforms to U.S. immigration policy in 50 years. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act passed on a vote of 68-32. It now faces a more daunting challenge in the House of Representatives. The 1,000+ page bill includes an earned legalization process for 11 million unauthorized immigrants, increased enforcement both at the border and at home, and a revamped guest worker program for both high- and low-skilled jobs.

But even as policymakers attempt to fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system, the proposed legislative solutions overlook one of the system's most important moving parts -- the economic hardship in immigrants' home countries that drives them to seek work in the United States. Thus, the U.S. development community can play a new and important role in helping to integrate economic development and poverty reduction into U.S. immigration policy.  Read more. 

In Mexico, rails are risky crossing for a new wave of Central American migrants

Washington Post 
By Nick Miroff
July 15, 2013

Central Americans have been catching freight trains to the U.S. border for years, risking injury or worse for a free ride and a path clear of Mexican government checkpoints. But at a time when illegal immigration to the United States remains near its lowest point in four decades, the number of Central Americans going north has soared, putting new attention on the rail system that takes thousands to the border each year.  Read more.

Sealed U.S. Border Will Be 'Unprecedented Challenge' for Mexico

Mexico - El Universal - Original Article (Spanish)
By Enrique Berruga Filloy
World Meets, Translated By Halszka Czarnocka
June 27, 2013

Every day, the proposed U.S. immigration reform law gets tougher: the waiting period for obtaining citizenship has risen from 13 to 15 years, migrants will have to admit that they illegally entered U.S. territory, and now the measures for controlling the border zone will be doubled, both in terms of budget and the number officers. The amendment proposed by Republican Senators Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota demands an increase in border patrol officers to 40,000; requires the construction of a 700 mile fence; the installation of infrared sensors; and the use of unmanned aerial drones. The figures are devastating: there will be seven border patrol officers for every mile of the frontier.  Read more. 

Immigration Reform at a Dangerous Juncture

 NALACC (National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communites):

By Oscar Chacón, Executive Director, NALACC

Since late last year, immigrant communities in the US have watched carefully, as first the Senate and now the House of Representatives takes up the issue of immigration reform. As anyone familiar with the system can attest, the country is in urgent need of public policies that can start to repair the many years of neglect that have pushed our immigration laws far out of sync with the realities of modern global migration.

As immigrant communities from Mexico, Central America and the rest of Latin America, we have listened to elected officials tout the growing importance of Latino voters.  In this context, we had high hopes that the US Congress would put an end once and for all to the toxic rhetoric about immigration, and recognize the multiple ways in which immigrant communities, particularly those who reside in the US without authorization, have generously contributed to economic growth and fiscal revenues at all levels of government. Read More...

Mexico objects to border security portion of US immigration bill, says fences not solution

The Washington Post 
By Associated Press
June 25, 2013

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government objected on Tuesday to an immigration bill that appears headed for approval in the U.S. Senate, saying the initiative’s heavy focus on border security is not consistent with the relationship between the two countries.

Foreign Relations Secretary Jose Meade said that instead of expanding a border fence, as proposed in the bill, the United States should modernize border bridges to expedite commerce.

“Fences do not unite,” Meade said while reading a statement to reporters during a news conference where he didn’t take questions.  Read more. 

Millions of immigrants waiting for green cards

USA Today
Daniel González, The Arizona Republic
June 23, 2013

The long wait is at the center of the debate over whether to give the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally a pathway to citizenship.

Phoenix - Alejandro Bojorquez wants to play by the rules.

The Mexican citizen has patiently waited for years for a green card to allow him to come to the United States legally, even as millions of compatriots crossed the border illegally.

But his wait has been long. Very, very long.

Bojorquez was 14 when his father, Jesus Bojorquez, then a legal permanent resident, filed a green-card petition on his behalf. Alejandro is now 29.  Read more. 

Border Deal by 2 in G.O.P. Lifts Chances of Immigration Bill

The so-called comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Congress is shaping up to be the worst counter-reform in terms of human rights and civil liberties in the history of U.S. legislation. 

Here is a note from the New York Times on yet another Republican knife in the back of immigrant rights, this time in the form of a "border surge" (yes, they are actively striving to make Chihuahua look as much like Iraq as possible), including fencing and 40,000 security forces, all for a cool $30 billion in taxpayer money, which could easily end up being double that due to "errors" and cost overruns, if the history of this lethal boondoggle is any example.

NYT, WASHINGTON — Two Senate Republicans reached an agreement on Thursday on a plan to strengthen border security with the bipartisan group of eight senators that drafted an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, raising hopes that the new deal could build Republican support for the immigration legislation being debated on the Senate floor.

The deal, according to aides with knowledge of the discussions, will call for what was described as a “border surge” that nearly doubles the current border patrol force to 40,000 agents from 21,000, as well as the completion of 700 miles of fence on the southern border. The additional border agents, an aide said, would cost roughly $30 billion.  Read more...

Near the Border, a Few Deputies Are Outnumbered by Drugs and Bodies

“It’s hard,” he said. “I stop these guys and they pull out their wallets. I see the pictures of their kids and I think about my own kids. I realize I’d probably do the exact same thing if the situation was reversed.” Deputy Brad Gill, Ajo, AZ

I find that consistently local law enforcement officers, forced by recent laws to treat immigrants as criminals, are far less convinced of their task and far more compassionate than lawmakers in Washington or the state capital. As the "border security" hype heats up in the context of immigration reform, legislators should pay more attention to our own "boots on the ground" and less to the defense lobbies that roam the halls with stuffed pockets, selling the tragically false equation of immigration=national security threat. 

We'll be putting out a series on recent reports on immigration in Arizona and Texas on www.cipamericas.org this week. They document the high death rate and massive human rights violations that should shame a nation committed to justice. They also reinforce the deputy's view here that the multibillion-dollar plan of building a total wall is useless and a gigantic waste of tax dollars.

NYT. June 11, 2013 AJO, Ariz. — On a recent morning, Lt. Bill Clements, commander of a remote sheriff’s department substation here, sent his deputies into the sun-blasted Sonoran Desert to recover a body — the fifth in five days. Hours later, back at the station, a deputy unzipped a white body bag, revealing the corpse of a man who had died making the brutal crossing from Mexico, his lips shrunken, either with dehydration or from being partly eaten by wild animals, the deputies said.

Pima County sheriffs moved the body of a person who had apparently died crossing the border.

Out here, life expires suddenly and without dignity. The Ajo district station recovered 18 bodies last year. As of late May, the station had recovered eight, and the summer sun was still a few weeks away.

Read More...

U.S. Will Look To Mexico For Immigrants Within A Decade Due To Labor Shortage, Expert Says

The Huffington Post
By Roque Planas
April 10, 2013

Those concerned about the 11.1 million undocumented immigrants who come to the United States from around the world may one day miss a time when the U.S. easily attracted workers from Mexico.

As the baby-boom generation sails into retirement and the Mexican birth rate decreases, the U.S. will have a shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor, and will have to turn to other foreign countries to meet demand, policy analyst Shannon O’Neil writes in her new book Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico the United States, and the Road Ahead.

“This combination may lead to a rapid turnaround on this hot-button issue [immigration],” O’Neil writes. “Desperate to close the gaps in America’s workforce, in the next decade we may be urging Mexicans to come to the United States.”

The so-called "gang of eight," a bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators, is putting the final touches on a comprehensive immigration reform proposal. The bill, expected to be submitted soon, will likely include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, though critics want assurance that the federal government also will better secure the border. Read more. 

Immigrants Held in Solitary Cells, Often for Weeks

The NY Times 
By Ian Urbina and Catherine Rentz
Published: March 23, 2013

WASHINGTON — On any given day, about 300 immigrants are held in solitary confinement at the 50 largest detention facilities that make up the sprawling patchwork of holding centers nationwide overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to new federal data.

Nearly half are isolated for 15 days or more, the point at which psychiatric experts say they are at risk for severe mental harm, with about 35 detainees kept for more than 75 days.

While the records do not indicate why immigrants were put in solitary, an adviser who helped the immigration agency review the numbers estimated that two-thirds of the cases involved disciplinary infractions like breaking rules, talking back to guards or getting into fights. Immigrants were also regularly isolated because they were viewed as a threat to other detainees or personnel or for protective purposes when the immigrant was gay or mentally ill.  Read more.

Immigration Reform and Workers’ Rights

The NY Times
February 20, 2013

Members of Congress and President Obama have been working in earnest to deliver on their promise to overhaul immigration this year. Mr. Obama would clearly prefer a bipartisan bill, and last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on possible changes in immigration law. News reports last weekend suggested that the White House would fashion its own bill should negotiations between Republican and Democratic supporters of reform collapse.

Yet, in all the talk of providing a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers while tightening border security, one important issue has, so far, received only passing mention: stronger protections for immigrant workers against exploitation and abuse. Such protections, essential to any reform plan, would help rid the system of bottom-feeding employers who hire and underpay and otherwise exploit cheap immigrant labor, dragging down wages and workplace standards for everyone. Read more. 

New urgency to cross along tougher U.S. border

The Washington Post

That’s when many of these men crossed over for the first time, in their late teens or early 20s.

Today the area is perhaps the toughest part of one of the most heavily guarded and closely watched international boundaries in the world. The Department of Homeland Security has doubled border security and immigration enforcement spending since 2006 to $18 billion a year, deploying sensors, cameras, fencing, surveillance drones and federal agents.

The immigration overhaul proposals from Congress and the White House promise to harden the border even more.

The Department of Homeland Security does not estimate how many illegal migrants make it across, but researchers and the migrants themselves say the odds of getting caught are greater than ever.

Since 2005, the United States has doubled the number of Border Patrol agents deployed along the Mexico boundary to 18,516, an all-time high.  Read more. 

U.S. Immigration Reforms Demand Mexican 'Firmness' (La Jornada, Mexico)

"For Mexico, Obama's second term represents an opportunity to restore the imperative of immigration reform to the place it should never have lost. ... Of course, this depends not only on the correlation of political forces North of the Rio Bravo, but on the capacity of our national authorities to handle bi-national relations with an attitude of respect, and at the same time with sovereign firmness, leaving behind the shameful submission toward Washington that characterized the previous administration."

La Jornada, February 16, 2013
Translated By Halszka Czarnocka for World Meets 

In an anachronistic private ceremony, president of the United States Barack Obama has begun the second term he won in the November election, to remain at the head of the country for the next four years. In contrast to January 20, 2009, when the first African-American was installed in the White House, on this occasion there is no exuberant optimism in the neighboring country, and the sensation of participation in a historic moment has been left behind.


The electoral triumph of the former Senator for Illinois over his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, is not a result of his society's bet on the future, as happened in 2008, but a victory of common sense. While the defeated presidential candidate was unable to express sensible and viable solutions to the urgent problems facing the most powerful country in the world, his Democratic opponent proved in his first term to be an efficient manager, even if his leadership brought better results for the corporate and geopolitical interests of the superpower than for the unresolved needs of the U.S. population.

Mesoamerican Migrant Movement Press Release

Mesoamerican Migrant Movement
Original Americas Program Translation 

Mexico City, January 21, 2013. – Forty-four years since his assassination, we remember Martin Luther King’s dream of a day when his four children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Today more than 11 million undocumented migrants will have to wait for a tortuously slow legislative process to recognize their contributions, from political to fiscal, in the United States.

Barak Obama, thanks to the Latino vote, will be sworn in for the second time as President. The Latino vote was the pointer on the scale that weighed in Obama’s favor and granted him victory after a dead heat election. During his inauguration, thousands of voters will be protesting in Chicago, demanding an immediate moratorium on deportations and separation of families: While Obama orates promises of immigration reform, undocumented migrants in the United States are being harassed by a new wave of attacks, raids on workplaces, arrests and deportations carried out in the days and weeks subsequent to his reelection.

During Obama’s first administration, the numbers of deportations add up to more than 1.5 million in four years. From now until the long awaited immigration reform materializes, an estimated half a million more people will be deported unless Obama changes the current policy. It is therefore urgent to establish the moratorium on deportations and separation of families meanwhile the immigration reform law is approved and regulated for its implementation.   It is difficult to understand why the President is deporting the hundreds of thousands of people he wants to legalize.  The unconstitutional mass deportations have caused the painful separation of hundreds of thousands of families whose children are citizens and have lived in the United States for years.

Undocumented migrants back in Mexico hope to some day return to US

The Guardian 
by Amanda Holpuch in Guadalajara
February 4, 2013

For millions of undocumented migrants who have spent years in the US legal shadows, the rupture of the political deadlock on immigration was the realisation of what once seemed a forlorn hope.

But even if the moves to fix America's broken immigration system result in a deal that once seemed so elusive, for many others it will come too late. Those are the people for whom the pressure of living without proper legal status bore down too hard, and they returned home.

Most of them will never be allowed back: anyone who has lived illegally in the US for more than a year is permanently barred from ever re-entering the country, unless they can argue for an exemption on the grounds of "extreme or unusual hardship". And there are no plans to change that particularly harsh provision in America's notoriously tough immigration regime.

Many former undocumented migrants return to Guadalajara in Mexico. It's been dubbed "Mexico's Silicon Valley" and those who return from the US with bilingual skills can easily find a high-paying job at call centers in multinational corporations. Here, there is a ready-made support system for people trying to find their footing in the country they were raised, but barely know.  Read more.