Border governors head to Mexico amid wave of violence
By JULIET WILLIAMS - Associated Press | ∞
SACRAMENTO ---- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday will join governors from both sides of the border in Mexico City to push for more action on crime-fighting and border security, a visit that comes as Mexico is facing unprecedented violence.
Schwarzenegger will offer support to Mexican President Felipe Calderon for his crackdown against the drug trade, in which he has deployed more than 20,000 federal troops across Mexico.
Cartels have responded with increasingly bold attacks against security forces, including beheadings and assassinations of top police officials and soldiers. On Tuesday, seven federal officers were killed in a shootout with one cartel.
Beyond policy talks on security, economic development and the environment, it's not clear what Schwarzenegger and the governors of Texas, New Mexico and the six Mexican states hope to accomplish.
The coalition made a similar appeal to President Bush in February, but progress has been slow.
The federal meetings are part of a new agenda for the decades-old border governors conference, a nod to the reality that the federal government controls the U.S. border and the Mexican government can determine what happens on its side.
Schwarzenegger's administration says the partnership and continued pressure already have produced some results.
Federal Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff has boosted the number of workers at key border crossings, dramatically reducing wait times at some of the busiest border crossings.
The coalition also seeks a six-month extension of Operation Jump Start, the partnership between the National Guard and U.S. Border Patrol. Under it, about 3,000 National Guard troops have been deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, about half the number sent to the border states when the program began in mid-2006.
The Bush administration has been noncommittal about its plans for Operation Jump Start.
Bush has used the wave of violence in Mexico to further an anti-crime legislative package. He is urging Congress to approve the first $500 million installment of a $1.4 billion law enforcement aid package known as the Merida Initiative to combat drug crime in Mexico.
Calderon has called on American lawmakers not to put additional conditions on the funding. Schwarzenegger wants to see some of the money go to help U.S. states fight drug-related crime.
California will host the annual convening of governors from the six Mexican border states and four American states next August in Los Angeles. Although such meetings have taken place for 26 years, last year was the first time the political leaders agreed they needed to broaden their actions to include joint requests to federal officials.
Schwarzenegger has long pushed for federal action on immigration and to resolve the status of some 11 million illegal immigrants who already live in the United States.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, sponsored a failed attempt at immigration reform last year that would have created a path for some illegal immigrants to become citizens. Schwarzenegger has endorsed McCain's candidacy.
Democratic presidential rivals Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton supported McCain's 2006 bill, and all three also have supported a border fence.
California's economy relies heavily on migrant workers, primarily from Mexico. The issue hit home for Schwarzenegger on Wednesday, when he made an unannounced appearance in Lodi at the funeral of a young woman who died after picking grapes for eight hours in triple-digit temperatures last weekend.
In a strongly worded statement, Schwarzenegger said the death of 18-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez was preventable. He said California employers must adhere to the regulations the state has put in place to prevent heat illnesses, including providing water, allowing regular breaks in the shade and having an emergency plan in place.
"Where there are violations of these regulations, we will prosecute employers to the full extent of the law," Schwarzenegger said in a statement after the funeral. "There is no excuse for failing to protect worker safety."
Jimenez had recently left Mexico to work in Lodi, a region about 35 miles south of the state capital that provides grapes to wineries throughout California.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating her death.
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Antonio wrote on May 29, 2008 7:59 AM:$1.4 billion to aid mexico?!?!?!
This is insane!, mexico is not a poor country, let them take care of their own problems.
Secure our borders, and start deporting all of the criminal illegal aliens.
Dack wrote on May 29, 2008 10:41 AM:Aid to Mexico?!?
Yes. The drug problem is not some simplistic issue that can readily be dealt with. The mass production of drugs is south of the border, BUT the mass consumption is here in the States. Getting mad at Mexico for this problem does not make sense, since the economic laws of supply and demand clearly dictates that the both countries must bare this burden. Helping Mexico and Mexico assisting our law enforcement is the right way to go.
So Arnie wrote on May 29, 2008 10:52 AM:lets get this straight so everybody is on the same page. Illegal Immigration is not a Federal matter, but belongs to the States? Why are you not enforcing the law?
dave from oceanside wrote on May 29, 2008 11:03 AM:Use the 1.4 billion on the fence.
Greg in Oceanside wrote on May 29, 2008 4:52 PM:We can all see the rampant crime, wanton violence, drug smuggling, corruption, human trafficking, prostitution, murder, gang warfare, and other criminal behavior which has escalated out of control and has become quite a problem in Mexico. The situation concerns me and I feel this is why we should oppose any form of immigration reform (aka amnesty) and think we really need to look closely at the immigrants coming from Mexico and any other nation with high crime because immigrants tend to bring these same problems with them when they immigrate here. Mexico's problems underscore the need for the impenetrable border wall and fence along our entire southern border. We also need to tighten our immigration process to weed out undesirable immigration candidates, particularly one's with any criminal record or past. The violence should also serve as a warning to Americans who travel to Mexico because the situation doesn't seem to be getting any better. As for any monetary assistance ($1.5 billion in aid), as a concerned taxpayer I thoroughly oppose any plans to give Mexico money. What have they done for us? Absolutely nothing. Mexico has plenty of financial resources to deal with their own problems without putting more burden on the US taxpayers than they already do with the hordes of illegal immigrants we support. Enough is enough, and it's time for Mexico to clean their house.
anotherview wrote on May 29, 2008 11:12 PM:Oil-rich and tourism-rich Mexico has the financial resources to moderate the social and economic inequality besetting the Mexican people. Such moderation would in turn moderate the illegal migration of Mexicans to America. Yet, the Mexican elite, who control the riches of Mexico, and who rule in their own interest, resist the need for a redistribution of Mexico's wealth. Mexico suffers from poverty because of plutocracy and corporatism. The Mexican elite, however, may continue their high status while keeping down the Mexican people only with the connivance of American interests. All three major political candidates support amnesty for illegal aliens, and Bush II does, too. U. S. Senator Diane Feinstein supports amnesty for illegal aliens. Illegal immigration and its resulting illegal aliens benefit American business interests. Unscrupulous farmers, for example, unlawfully hire illegal aliens to work for coolie wages. These farmers, along with other unscrupulous employers like them want the status quo, and will support candidates who favor an amnesty for illegal aliens. These business interests do so knowing full well such an amnesty will surely prompt more illegal immigration, in hopes of another amnesty, and bring illegal aliens here to work for coolie wages. Nevertheless, illegal aliens have no right to live and work in America. The recent welcome two-part push by the Bush II administration to stop employers from hiring illegal aliens and to find, detain, and deport criminal and fugitive aliens, if continued and expanded, will end the jobs for illegal aliens. With no job, the illegal aliens will self-deport (at their own expense) -- no national roundup needed. Minus the lure of jobs, the foreign nationals will not illegally migrate to America. The American connivance ended, Mexico will no longer conveniently export its unemployed and under-employed citizens. The Mexican leadership would at last find itself forced to address the national inequality driving Mexican migration. By enforcement of the law, America can free itself of illegal aliens, and induce overdue positive change in Mexico for its people.
revolt wrote on May 31, 2008 4:03 PM:time to bare arms, sooner or later
Roberto wrote on May 31, 2008 4:32 PM:Allow Mexico to form a government like Cuba...boycott the 1.2 million barrels of oil imported from Mexico everyday...come on xenophobes, be creative!
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