On May 6, 1997, the Presidents of the United States and Mexico pledged their respective Governments to strive to create a new vision of a shared border to build communities of cooperation rather than of conflict. On the basis of the principles included in the Joint Statement on Migration, the Attorney General of the United States and the Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico reaffirmed both nations commitment to pursue the vigorous administration of justice concerning situations in which migrants and border communities register complaints concerning violence against Mexican migrants, and in cases of unlawful actions and assaults against law enforcement officials (www.usembassy-mexico.gov 1997). To promote human rights on the border and curb violence the governments together are taking steps like transboundary cooperation and conducting joint training. Transboundary Cooperation would develop procedures among Federal law enforcement agencies along the border in each country to respond, each in its own territory, to calls for assistance when conflicts, assaults, violence, and other threats to public safety occur that involve cross-border activities. This may include new mechanisms and procedures for communication and arrest, when appropriate. Joint Training would develop programs for training local and national law enforcement personnel who work along the border including, among other issues, procedures and guidelines on the use of deadly force, the availability and value of non-lethal responses, standards and procedures of patrol and arrest, and heightened cultural and community sensitivity. Participation by Mexican officials in U.S. Border Patrol Training Academy exercises, and comparable efforts to conduct training with Mexican law enforcement personnel on the border, should be expanded.
Both Governments recognize the need to investigate incidents along the border that involve the use of deadly force, assaults and violence, and to establish a mechanism to encourage appropriate law enforcement officials from each country to present evidence or witnesses, and to make other investigative contributions. The only way the human rights abuse cases will diminish is with cooperation from both law enforcement agencies. Containment on the Mexican side is a must and greater penalty to those who try should be enforced.
In an article by Sidney Weintraub titled, Ways to Ease Migration Tensions
Between Mexico and the United States, he states two approaches to dealing with migration tension; the economic development imperative for dealing with supply-push over the long term and the policy actions that might diminish the demand-pull in the short term (www.iadialog.org 1998). On the supply side of Mexico what must be achieved is the expectation that incomes will rise because economic growth will be sustained. Periodic crashes of the type of recent decades will not recur. Job-creation will keep pace with entries into the labor force, and parents can expect their children to have economic opportunities at home. The most important requirement in the economic development area for the United States is to maintain a satisfactory rate of overall growth. Mexico now ships upwards of 80 percent of its merchandise exports to the United States. These exports thrive when the U.S. economy is growing and would be penalized if the U.S. economy stagnated or declined. The second imperative is for U.S. direct investment in Mexico to continue, since this is what spawned the growth of coproduction, more exchange of components rather than final products, and the rise in intra-industry trade. This continuation requires more Mexican than official U.S. actions; namely, for Mexico to provide a stable and welcoming political and economic climate. These approaches are to be looked at in a bilateral sense and yes, the satisfactory growth of economy in the region and in Mexico will prove to be key in the migration reduction.
Mexican President Vicente Fox met with President Clinton in Washington on August 24 to outline his vision for a freer flow of people and goods across the U.S.-Mexican border. President Clinton was noncommittal about Fox’s ideas on immigration and the opening of the border. He said, “I want to hear them. Obviously, we have borders and we have laws that apply to them, and we have to apply them, and so do the Mexicans” (www.abcnews.go.com 2000). Clinton did emphasize the need for a growing interdependence between the United States and Mexico. “I always like to remind the American people that our Mexican neighbors paid their loan back ahead of time and in the best possible way,” he said. “They were good neighbors. We did the right thing. And everything that has happened there has validated the commitment of a very genuine friend of an equal partnership in our country” (www.abcnews.go.com 2000).
“The goal of the United States has been to put walls, the Army, and policeman to stop immigration. I think this gets us nowhere,” Fox said (www.abcnews.go.com 2000). Fox wants the United States to issue as many as 250,000 visas a year so that Mexicans can enter the country legally. The United States needs these workers because of a labor shortage in everything from agriculture to the hotel industry. Fox also wants American investment, billions of dollars, to convince other Mexicans to stay in Mexico. In exchange, Fox promises to vigorously police his side of the border and to cut off social programs in Mexico if a family member crosses the border illegally to work. Michael Fix of the Urban Institute supports Fox’s initiative. “What he’s proposing is something interesting, and it’s not just an addition, not just increased immigrants to the United States,” Fix said. “It’s a changed relationship with Mexico” (www.abcnews.com 2000).
With our presidency in limbo the views of Fox will ultimately see success or failure depending on the turnout of the 2000 U.S. election. Vice President Al Gore praises Fox, calling him a man with “big ideas, very large ideas.” George W. Bush also lauded Fox, but said the United States must do a better job of protecting its Southern border against illegal migration. The Bush statement on immigration contrasted with Fox’s vision of border relations. Bush, on a flight from Austin to New Orleans, said, “I believe we ought to enforce our borders” (www.abcnews.go.com 2000). The views of Fox are promising but they may not be realized for many years to come.
Current efforts to deter the human rights abuse are fairly stagnant and may see positive results within the next few years. The election of Vaccinate Fox was vital in the fight to sustain a peaceful border. His visions of a free flowing border may not be too far fetched. If the wage rates and income differences were brought to a medium across the border than it may be possible. The difference may need to be made up on the Mexican side more than the U.S. side due to the extreme poverty in northern Mexico. These people are generally trying to escape a poverty-stricken life by fleeing to a prosperous United States; the economy must grow in order to deter heavy migration trends. Money needs to be invested into Mexican economy and creation of jobs in Mexico rather than “beefing” up Border Patrol. Once a joint-growth economy flourishes then human rights abuse issues will diminish.
Barbour, William, Illegal Immigration. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1994, 149-50.
Barbour, William, Immigration Policy. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1995, 67.
Seltzer, Nate, Immigration Law Enforcement and Human Rights Abuses. Borderlines: vol.6, Number 9, 1998, 2-4,11.
UNDP, Human Development Report 2000. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, 16, 56-59
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/mexico_us_000824.html, Border Talk Mexico’s President-Elect Proposes More Open Border, 2000, 1-4..
http://www.iadialog.org/immigrat.html, Immigration in U.S. Mexican Relations: A Report of the U.S.-Mexican Relations Forum, 1998, 7-10
http://www.ins.gov/graphics/lawenfor/indes.htm, INS Issues Guidelines for INS Operations During Census 2000, 2000, 1-2.
http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov//eSBordViol.html, Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States on Cooperation Against Border Violence, 1997, 1-4.
http://usdoj.gov/oig/gatekpr/gkp01.htm, Background to the Office of the Inspector General Investigation, date unknown, 7-8.
http://www.wsws.org/ articles/1999/jun1999/ins-j25.shtml, US Border Crackdown Sends Immigrant Deaths Soaring, 1999, 1-3.