ICE gets slammed at Congressional Border Issues Conference

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

“What happens on one side of the border affects the other side. Mexico and the United States are separated by a border, but both communities share a goal of helping all of our peoples,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the 13th Annual U.S. - Mexico Congressional Border Issues Conference, where panelists gathered to talk about topics such as Comprehensive Immigration Reform, drug and weapon trafficking, and the Merida Initiative. 

Among the panelists was Geraldo Rivera, host of “Geraldo at Large” on the FOX News Channel who said that instead of sending troops to the U.S./Mexican border, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needs to start focusing on catching criminals and stop raiding processing plants where people are just there to work. “The immigration debate in this country has been so poisoned, and it’s become so racist in many ways.... We have distorted policy so that it hurts our national security. We have a totally competent law enforcement agency to deal with these criminals,” Rivera said. Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed with Rivera saying that unnecessary ICE raids are not the American way and that they must stop.

Pelosi talked about the need for comprehensive immigration reform saying that we need it soon. “It would secure our borders, it would protect our workers, it would prohibit the exploitation of workers coming into our country, it would unite our families,” she stated. Pelosi said that she is sending Congressmen to Mexico to see how our nations can work together. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also be traveling to Mexico to show support. 

Rivera also expressed his support for the Dream Act, which states that undocumented young people could be eligible for a conditional path to citizenship in exchange for a mandatory two years in higher education or military service. In order for the undocumented young person to have the chance to become an American citizen, they must demonstrate good moral character to be eligible for and stay in conditional residency. Rivera said, “You want to stimulate the gross domestic product? Let’s get these Latino youngsters graduating high school.... But to take kids who are getting A’s and say they can’t get in-state tuition in college because they’re not documented, It’s preposterous, it’s un-American, it’s Anti-American.... Get Dream passed.”

Pelosi also discussed the Merida Initiative, saying that $300 million would be given to Mexico as part of the omnibus bill that was passed last week. “Every person who comes here with that determination, with that optimism, with that hope, with those family values and sense of community and spirit of faith, every person who comes here, certainly from the Hispanic community, when they come here they make America more American,” she concluded. 

U.S. helping to pull the trigger for gun and drug war in Mexico

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

“Firearms from the United States civilian gun market are fueling violence on both sides of our border with Mexico...The United States, it doesn’t just make trafficking military style weapons to them easy it practically compels that traffic.” said Tom Diaz, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Violence Policy Center and author of “Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America.” at a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing titled “Money, Guns, and Drugs: Are U.S. Inputs Fueling Violence on the U.S.- Mexico Border?”

Last year an estimated 6,290 drug-related murders occurred in Mexico and the death toll is still rising. Congressman John Mica (R-Fla.) said. “We’ve got to help them regain control with a plan and a policy of that country. It’s totally out of control, it is a slaughter house and its on our borders and it's spilling into our cities.”

“Mexico matters to the United States...not just because Mexico is our neighbor...it is an issue where we are both deeply involved...U.S. drug sales account for as much as $10 to $25 billion each year that is sent back to Mexico to fuel violence and to support the cartels,” said Andrew Selee, the Director at the Woodrow Wilson Center Mexico Institute. Selee offered three recommendations on how to stop the flow of guns and drugs between Mexico and the United States. Selee expressed that the U.S. should reduce the consumption of drugs by investing in drug prevention programs; second, to disrupt the billions of dollars that flow from drug sales in the U.S. and back to drug trafficking organizations in Mexico by developing the intelligence capabilities to detect where the money is being transported from and to where. Third, to limit the flow of high caliber weapons from the United States to Mexico by increasing the number of ATF inspectors at the border and to increase cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

Jonathon Paton, Arizona State Senator gave his thoughts on how to stop drug and gun trafficking as well and said, “the other thing we could do is to look at comprehensive immigration reform...which will allow us to focus on the real problem at hand which is the smugglers and not the people that are trying to find employment in the United States.”

Other representatives expressed their thoughts on the issue like Congressman Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who said, “I think drugs are the scourge of the Earth, I think that anybody that deals in drugs ought to be put in jail permanently or killed. That’s how bad I think drugs are.”

Grim perspective on Mexico's politics

"Mexico's current political system is in turmoil," said Aguayo Quesada, a professor at El Colegio de Mexico, as he began a discussion on the current state of Mexico's politics.

Quesada outlined the challenges and problems Mexico faces, as well as some significant progress. Quesada was optimistic about the balance of power redistribution that Mexico's internal government was
experiencing. He pointed out that the budget for the presidency had only increased marginally when compared to Mexico's judicial and legislative branches. He said this was a clear indication that the
dominance that the president once held was now fading.

Quesada was critical of Mexican President Felipe Calderón's decision to bar anyone from accessing the 2006 presidential ballots. In 2006, Calderón won the hotly contested election by a slim margin, and his
opposition accused him of voter fraud. Calderón and the PAN (Calderón's party which is in control of Mexico's legislature) have not truly embraced democracy yet, said Quesada.

Quesada was concerned about the growing difference in wealth distribution in Mexico. "Mexico has become a country of billionaires," said Quesada. He pointed out that the number of billionaire families and individuals in Mexico have been decreasing for the past few decades, yet the wealth in each of those families have increased dramatically.

Quesada was also concerned about the growing power of drug cartels. His facts were startling: 40 percent of Mexico is now under control or under the influence of cartels, they compete against each other and with the government. 250,000 Mexican soldiers deserted last year, an
unknown number of them now work for cartels. Mexico has become a heavy consumer of drugs, not just a transporter to the United States, and corruption in the government is widespread. "Mexico has become a country of Mafias," said Quesada, "no one represents citizens."

Drug crackdown takes two to tango

The Merida Initiative, which promotes cooperation between the United States, the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, was discussed by Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan. The initiative aims to deal with the threats of drug trafficking and transnational crime.

Sarukhan said that while the U.S. and Mexico remain ‘distant neighbors’ on some level, they are also strategic partners. In order to combat drug trafficking, Sarukhan offered a three-pronged approach which involves the U.S. and Mexico working separately to eradicate the drug demand and supply, respectively, as well as working together to shut down the border to organized crime. Sarukhan cited shifting patterns in trafficking and routes of the past 20 years as cause for the pressure to deal with the situation.

According to Sarukhan, cocaine consumption in the U.S. has decreased while methamphetamine has increased. Sarukhan noted that this change in consumption has resulted in problematic effects. Firstly, if a drug seller cannot place cocaine in the U.S. market due to decreased demand, he will try to place it domestically which will lead to greater domestic drug consumption and violence. Secondly, drug sellers would find more lucrative ways of making ends meet such as kidnapping, smuggling and human trafficking.

Sarukhan discussed the goals of the Merida Initiative which was to change the paradigm of the U.S. and Mexican response to cartels. In addition, Sarukhan emphasized the importance of giving Mexico a ‘technological edge’ in their struggle to combat drug trafficking as well as developing a regional approach towards creating counter-drug policies.