And those that seek to undermine them

I just could not let this one go ( the same one that Jorge wrote about here).

How many other countries do you know actively help their countrymen to willingly break their neighbor’s laws?  But absolutely crack down on illegal immigration into their own country?

And what other country in the world seems to be allowing it?

Mexico to bolster immigrant defense

The Mexican government is giving its consulates in the U.S. wide latitude to ramp up a campaign to toughen their defense of immigrants and plans to give them more resources as well, officials familiar with the strategy said.

The move comes as deportations reach an all-time high in the toughest crackdown in decades by the U.S. government and police authorities.

Once again, it is "immigration" and not written as "illegal immigration" in the report.  And that is, and has been, the crux of my ire.  Not only now is it focused on individuals but now the country of Mexico. Yet, that decry that we discriminate against Mexicans – do you think that there may now well be a legitimate reason (aw, just forget about those comic books they cooked up earlier!).  Thus, we have a sovereign country’s laws being flouted, but another country is being blatantly open about subverting their neighbor’s laws. 

Among the actions under discussion are the creation of…

…an anti-defamation league similar to that focused on protecting Jews; budget increases for some of the 47 consulates, especially in regions such as North Texas, where Mexican migration has been swift and plentiful; and a media campaign aimed at counteracting groups opposed to illegal immigration and sometimes legal immigration.

The problem is that the previous anti-defamation groups (the Jewish one and the Italian one) were for legal citizens and their issues and not for those that are here illegally.  And do we really want another country trying to not just influence our immigration laws but to help ignore them? 

When will my country stand up for this – when will my President uphold the laws of the land (no, I’m not holding my breath). 

The effort underscores the tension in U.S. communities grappling with problems created by illegal immigration. And it is sure to further incense groups demanding a crackdown on immigration, both legal and illegal.

"Our fight is no longer inside the Beltway," said one senior Mexican official, who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity. "We have been forced to change our strategy."

One can thank our feckless Federales for their non-performance in this area.  The greatness of our…

nation is that problems can be distributed with respect to setting laws to suit local conditions and needs.  When our population gets fed up, we have the liberty to act. 

But Jean Towell, president of Dallas-based Citizens for Immigration Reform, called the move "arrogant," saying that the Mexican government does not "have the right to meddle in our affairs."

Arrogant chutpah indeed! 

"They have come out before saying it is wrong for us to meddle in Mexico’s affairs," she said. "They are losing human capital. It would be better if they provided the right kind of incentives to keep their people there. It is a no-brainer."

Mexican government officials gave few additional details about the plan but said it would cover 11 million first-generation citizens, half of whom live in an "irregular migratory situation."

Irregular migratory situation?  It would be laughable if it weren’t so serious.  And expensive.  It costs LA County about a $1 Billion per year to "take care of" illegal immigrats – mostly from Mexico.

No wonder Mexico wishes to keep it going – why not spend our taxpayers’ monies instead of theirs? 

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the plan "is guaranteed to backfire."

"They may feel that if they want an amnesty, they have to try," he said. But "they are going to be directly engaging in American politics. That is something American consuls would be deported for."

Hmm, we’ll have to ask – time for another invite to Meet The New Press to Mr. Krikorian!  

Mr. Krikorian said he was surprised by the new approach because Mexico’s U.S. ambassador, Arturo Sarukkhán, usually chooses his words so carefully.

Mr. Sarukkhán could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Mexico City meeting

Nearly two dozen U.S.-based immigrant leaders, including North Texans, flew to Mexico City recently to meet with senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry to discuss the strategy. The Foreign Ministry and its Institute for Mexicans Abroad, or IME, is carrying out the government’s plan.

Mario Ramírez, a Dallas businessman and Mexican immigrant who attended the meeting, said he knows his loyalty to the U.S., as a naturalized citizen, will be questioned.

But "as descendants of Mexicans and citizens of the United States, we feel it is our responsibility to create bridges of understanding because the anti-Mexican mood in the United States is causing us – and both countries – much harm," he said. "What do we have to lose anymore? We’ve been beaten up to the point that all we can do is fight back. … Things will get worse before they get better."

Foreign Ministry officials called the meeting part of a strategy by President Felipe Calderón to "reinforce consultations and communications with organizations dedicated to the defense of the rights of migrants."

Once again, I have to blame our educational system for this lapse.  Why?  Once again, we see the ramifications of proper civics not being taught to students.  Instead, the political correctness of identity politics comes to the fore as illegals are being portrayed as victims.  

I sometimes wonder when the Rule of Law would be recognized by the likes of Mr. Ramírez.

Quiet diplomacy has failed, said those at the Mexico City meeting. As evidence, they pointed to what they call the "venomous" immigration debate and the death of legislation this summer to overhaul U.S. immigration laws.

So, the Mexican Government is unhappy that we have decided that our laws should not change? 

"There is a sense that nothing will happen in the next two years in the U.S. Congress, so Mexican immigrants are determined to keep the issue alive and defend themselves with efforts like funding their own anti-defamation league," Andres Rozental, a former Mexican ambassador and private consultant, told The Dallas Morning News last month. "That in itself is quite an impressive statement."

A more vigorous defense of immigrants, over time, might bring politicians back to the negotiating table, some said.

Oh, so acting badly is supposed to make us change….yeah, THAT will persuade folks……just like it did in June. 

The Mexico City meeting took place Sept. 15, the start of Mexico’s Independence Day festivities.

 HAH!  The irony of the timing!  So much for good PR (just like waving the Mexican flag while demanding American citizenship).

Again, why is it that Mexico wants to get rid of it citizens so quickly?

Nationwide crackdown

The tension created by Congress’ failure to overhaul a broken immigration system is evident in cities across the country – where local and state governments are taking it upon themselves to address problems created by illegal immigration.

Some 41 states, including Texas, have stiffened requirements for driver’s licenses, placing a tourniquet on the ability of illegal immigrants to get what many workers consider an invaluable document. Scores of small communities have passed ordinances to crack down on day laborer sites. And still others, such as Farmers Bran
ch, have adopted tough rental housing measures that have been challenged by U.S. lawyers.

In Irving – where one out of three people is foreign-born – deportations have soared to about 300 a month since city police began more rigorous interaction with federal immigration officers a year ago.

When Mexican Consul Enrique Hubbard Urrea heard reports that police had been targeting common areas in apartment complexes, asking people about their immigration status, the former ambassador spread the word in the immigrant community to stay out of Irving.

Well, what do you know – the "IRS mode" works!  Go after a few, the rest live up (or escape from) the law!

Community protests began, followed by cheers from residents against illegal immigration.

Eduardo Rea, spokesman for the Dallas Mexican consul and a key diplomat in that office, said they are very worried about the rights of immigrants in Irving.

You know, try this on for size – if the laws were observed more closely, more people may just be more predisposed for change.  However, slamming us for wanting to protect our country via our laws makes no brownie points especially when it is so easy to see what the Mexican response is to illegals crossing their border.

Tell you what – hang out the welcome sign in your country that would allow me to buy land and to hold office in your country, then I might think about it. 

"We are trying to defend the rights of the people and at the same time, go to more forums so that people understand the law and know that they have to respect it. And obviously, [make sure] that they understand their rights."

What a crock!  May I remind the good consul that respect for our laws starts at the border and not all the laws that follow afterwards?

Seems to take after Liberals – notice the immediate push to "rights" vs "responsibilities"?  If they followed the latter vs the former, they’d self-deport without being push and return via the legal pathway.

But hey!  That would take time, wouldn’t it? 

Mexico-born Elvia Wallace Martínez, a naturalized U.S. citizen who runs a family learning center in Irving, said she "didn’t expect this to happen here."

"They hate us now," said Ms. Wallace Martínez.

Let’s try this – if Latinos had followed the laws instead of crashing the gate, perhaps there’d be no reason for the hairy eyeball stares? 

Most people do not like those that break the law and continue to get away with it.  There is that famous "American sense of fairness" – what is fair about jumping the line and then hearing that we do not wish to reward you for it? 

Illegal immigrants now face the most significant crackdown in the U.S. in decades.

In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out more than 220,000 illegal immigrant removals – or roughly the population of Plano. That’s nearly double the number in fiscal year 2001, according to ICE statistics.

Mexico has a mixed record in defending its workers in the United States, note historians and immigrant advocates.

In the 1930s, Mexico defended Mexicans and their U.S. citizen children in the San Diego, Calif., area when a school district tried to send those children to separate and inferior schools. The case was the first successful legal challenge to school segregation, said Paul Espinosa, an Arizona State University professor and filmmaker who produced a documentary on the episode called the Lemon Grove Incident.

"The 1930s is a period where they were quite active," Dr. Espinosa said of the Mexican consulates. "It was quite challenging. They had to be active without appearing to be active."

And so it is now, the professor said.

Will it be funded?

Still, it remains unclear how richly the Mexican government will finance its plan. Many Mexican consulates have complained for years about being strapped for resources. In Dallas, the last two Mexican consuls have repeatedly announced plans to shutter their overcrowded offices off Stemmons Freeway for something more spacious.

The Foreign Ministry, in a prepared statement to The News, reiterated its commitment to consulates and said it would move the Dallas office into a larger space. It also said it has approved two more consulate offices, one in Boise, Idaho, and another in Anchorage, Alaska.

Still, other questions remain.

Primitivo Rodríguez, a Mexico City resident who attended the meeting, said he worries that it’s too late for the Mexican government to try a new strategy, and many Mexicans may soon be returning to a country unable to provide good-paying jobs.

And THAT is the crux of the problem.  With all of the natural wealth of the country, it has squandered opportunity and opportunity.  It has failed its own citizens.  It believes that attempting to paint the US into a corner and meddle in our politics that it can deflect this very important and critical point.

If it spent as much time trying to improve the opportunities of it citizens domestically as it does for those illegally, WE wouldn’t have as many problems.

Or now, Canada. 

"There is a tsunami, not a thunderstorm, coming toward us, and I don’t think the government has a plan," said Mr. Rodríguez, coordinator of the Coalition for the Political Rights of Mexicans Abroad, which has members in Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston. "What will Mexico do with so many unhappy, desperate people? Mexico is simply not prepared for what’s coming next."