Immigration Reform Calls for Change Within Mexico

Re “Mexico’s Fox Pushes Immigration Reform on Southwest Visit,” Nov. 5: I would like to know what Mexico is doing to help its own people. While Mexican President Vicente Fox is visiting the United States and campaigning once again on what the U.S. can do for the Mexican nationals who want to cross our southern borders, perhaps at the same time he wouldn’t mind reporting to the U.S. citizenry on steps his own government is taking to provide more jobs and better homes in Mexico for all those people so they don’t need to cross the border. To echo Rep. Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) words, isn’t that good politics too?

Julia Huntsman

Long Beach

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Re “4 Die in Fight Over Immigrant Cargo,” Nov. 5: A ballet of the absurd played out Tuesday in Arizona with the shooting deaths of four individuals as rival “coyotes” shot it out over who would collect money to smuggle some illegal aliens into this country. Then came Fox’s arrogant encyclicals about open borders. Mexico is a corrupt oligarchy ruled by a tiny upper class of wealthy individuals who essentially dictate their country’s pace -- to the detriment of tens of millions of Mexicans who languish in crippling poverty.

Mexico’s sub rosa policy for much of the 20th century, continuing today, has been the export of millions of its poorest citizens into the U.S. as a way of keeping them from marching on Mexico City. It’s definitely in American interests to assist Mexico in solving its northward migration problems, but not on American soil. This must happen in Mexico. A first step in this regard is for the U.S. to seal its borders. This would force Mexico to face tough decisions and stop exporting its problems into our backyard. After World War II, the U.S. poured billions of dollars into the shattered countries of Europe, with phenomenal success. We should do something similar with Mexico, but on Mexican soil, not ours.

Michael Scott

Glendora