The Eyes of California Should Be on Texas : Richards’ positive ties to Mexico offer a model for Wilson

Gov. Pete Wilson visited El Paso last Thursday to applaud tough new border controls that have drastically cut illegal immigration from Mexico into Texas. What he did not mention, and perhaps preferred to ignore, are the sophisticated and constructive relations Texas has built with its southern neighbor.

Those relations should embarrass the governor over the clumsy and hostile way in which his Administration has dealt with Mexico and Mexicans. He appears to be more preoccupied with putting the blame on illegal Mexican immigrants for some of California’s woes than with looking toward a future based on mutual respect and trade.

The contrasts are marked. Gov. Ann W. Richards of Texas visits Mexico regularly and has a good working relationship with Mexican leaders. She is to meet this Friday in Ciudad Juarez, opposite El Paso, with the deputy foreign minister of Mexico, Andres Rozental, to discuss cross-border environmental problems. She maintains close ties to the four Mexican states bordering Texas and meets often with President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. It is not just good politics. It is good business.

Richards has been working on improving transportation between Texas and Mexico, including a possible high-speed “bullet” train between San Antonio and Monterrey, capital of the neighboring state of Nuevo Leon. There are also discussions about building a new pipeline to sell Texas natural gas in Mexico. Already there is considerable cooperation between border communities, for example, in sending injured Mexicans back to Mexico for medical treatment, and in tourism promotion and educational exchanges. As a result, Texas stands to benefit far more than California from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Wilson’s chief cooperation with Mexican leaders appears to be in exchanging icy blasts over whether the Mexican constitution permits the government to prevent Mexicans from leaving their country.

Admittedly there are significant differences between Texas and California. Texas’ population is only 9% foreign-born, compared with 22% in California. Unlike California’s, Texas’ border with Mexico is hundreds of miles from the major cities, and it is therefore somewhat easier to interdict illegal migrants. Also, Texas offers much-less-generous health and other public services. Still, both states share a Mexican heritage and have built their agricultural and service industries on a plentiful supply of Mexican labor.

We agree that illegal border crossings must be stopped. And public-opinion polls indicate many Californians think illegal immigration is a serious issue, so Wilson can legitimately claim he is responding to constituent concerns. But when Wilson goes to the border, he usually stays on the U.S. side and campaigns for votes. When Richards goes she crosses over into Mexico and invites constructive engagement. After Wilson called on Mexican authorities last year to cooperate in stanching the flow of illegal migrants, Mexico invited him to open a dialogue. The Mexicans say they have yet to receive a reply. Wilson’s staff says recent efforts to set up a meeting with Salinas have been rebuffed.

We hope Wilson took home some lessons from Texas apart from the obvious ones he sought. And we hope that he spares us a reelection campaign laced with what may be construed as immigrant-baiting.