The heck to what the Mexicans say, The National Guard troops should have been deployed 20 years ago to protect our border

This could be seen as a surprising move for a president that has been doing everything in his power to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. It is possible that it is simply a political manuever, but more likely is a fear of an uprising if the rich become too outnumbered. This would also explain the "detention centers" Halliburton has been asked to build- a backup in the case of unruly peasants. It is also possible that these troops will simply be used as security guards for the estates of the rich along the border.

I am not surprised that Mexico's government is concerned about America's awakening to the realization that Mexico is an invader, not a friendly neighbor. Mexico has no love for America. Mexico wants to use America and is surprised and insulted when America protests such treatment. Mexico says that America's decision to stop the illegal invasion is an act of war. Pooh! Mexico has long been involved in waging war against America, though too cowardly to wage it openly. Instead, Mexico sends in its poor to overun America and bog us down with problems related to this invasion. Then Mexico has the effrontery to whine and complain. How dare Mexico.
There are 31 Latin, Spanish speeking, Spanish dominated, Spanish ruled coutries. These countries have been around longer than North America. They have just as many natural resources, people, educational facilities and industrial opportunities as does North America. Let them take care of their own. America needs to wake up now before it is too late. Europe has long been tightening its immigration policies. If Mexico is so concerned about their poor, let them find a solution. I have heard that Russia is in need of more people. Perhaps Mexico might consider sending its people to Russia? Sounds as if we are all going backwards in history, to a place where slaves exist and die to simply work. Perhaps Mexico needs to address its population control issue. If Mexico has more people than jobs and homes, perhaps a good birth control method might help.

As long as this immigrants are just field workers, cleaning houses, cutting the grass and staying out of site there is no problem. Now that we are becoming educated taking advantage of the education system and working hard to acheive our dreams, unlike the Americans who take it for granted. By the way David did you know there is more "white" persons on welfare than any other "race" get your facts together before you start judging.

By the way Mexico is part of
North America Continent. Read your history books please!!!!!! Thats why education is failing here people just opinion from what they here, but never go out and get informed !!!!

MEXICAN NEWSPAPERS, MEXICAN CITIZENS AND THE CORRUPT MEXICAN GOVERNMENT NEED TO GET IT THROUGH THEIR ARROGANT, MACHO HEADS THAT AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE FINALLY HAD ENOUGH. OUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY AS A PEOPLE AND A NATION HAVE RUN OUT. THE BOYCOTT OF LAST WEEK BY THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS (ECONOMIC TERRORISTS) ONLY ANGERED AND IN TURN GALVANIZED LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS AGAINST THEIR AMNESTY/CITIZENSHIP "CAUSE".
I, FOR ONE, SUPPORT THE DECISION TO BOLSTER OUR BORDER AGENTS WITH THE NATIONAL GUARD AND/OR FEDERAL TROOPS. BUT, LET'S NOT STOP THERE. ALL LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE CUT TO ANY PERSON WHO CAN NOT IMMEDIATELY SHOW PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP. THEN, THEY SHOULD BE FORTHWITH DEPORTED TO THEIR COUNTRY OF BIRTH.
TO THE INSINUATION THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE ONLY DOING JOBS THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE UNWILLING TO DO, I HAVE AND WILL PERFORM MANY HOURS OF MANUAL LABOR AT VARIOUS MENIAL TASKS AND HAVE CALLOUS HANDS TO SHOW FOR IT. I WOULD GLADLY PAY FOUR DOLLARS A BASKET FOR THE RIPE AND TASTY FRUITS OF POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER LOYAL CITIZENS!

The increased security at the border is LONG overdue. Screw Mexico.It's no surprise they don't like the fact that we are protecting ourselves- they'll have a harder time invading our country.

The skyrocketing population of hispanics in the US is a growing cancer. We need to excise the tumor or it will kill us.

It reflects poorly on the Mexican government that they continue to encourage citizens to illegally pursue better ways of life in another country, and then take advantage of the migrant workers through the billions of dollars in remittances sent back to families in Mexico. It kind or sounds like Mexico and fellow countries south of the border are exporting slavery, instead of taking on their own political and economic reforms to create better socioeconomic conditions in their countries. It also reflects poorly on the U.S. government that it does not enforce immigration laws in existence, giving way to the big corporations who take advantage of illegal lower wages and exploit the immigrants.

Until Mexico cracks down heavily on the drug trade and human trafficking, the U.S. should take all legal measures to protect its sovereign borders and its legal citizens. Perhaps having the National Guard along the borders will send one message to Latin America: "We enforce our laws, and you should, too".

An end of corruption throughout Latin America would certainly foster better living conditions for all.

I agree with all Lisa Cook has said. I have attended 2 years of college here in America, and will return to my country of Austria this summer.

Americans are generous people (perhaps too generous). We employ members of the EU before we employ immigrants in our country.

Austria is a good country and our citizens are happy to live there. But we would never be so generous to provide all the social services that Americans do for all the needy people and illegal immigrants that comes to her country.

Yes, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and others need to take control of their own destinies. I have not read in the Americans papers where money sent back to these countries have been invested in businesses, building schools, and improving infrastructure. These countries are becoming welfare recipients at the expense of America.

I have positive impressions of Americans!

Comments by Lisa and Andy show how narrow minded, uninformed, ignored, and cruel "American" are becoming. At one time, we were the land for the oppressed, the land where the streets was lined with gold, where anyone who loves freedom, hard work, and liberty could find a home. The founders created america as an idea. The idea was humanistic, christian, and encompasing. It was not cold, isolationistic, biased, and selfish. Our founders were generous. And, all you folks are a product of that generosity. I have evidence that my relatives came to virginia in 1634. My relatives let most of you come here because of their "American" principals. But, you were as much a "Mexican" as the mexicans are today: Poor european trash. What makes you think your any better than the mexicans? You come here freely, and then pass laws to prevent others from coming like you did. You declare them illegal, lock them up, treat them like trash, and send them back. In my opinion, most of America is not much different than them. I'm 13th generation. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th generations mean nothing to me.

So, those like Andy and Lisa can go back to wherever your relatives came from. Because, you are not "American."

The only way to curtail illegal immigration is for American employers NOT to offer work to illegal immigrants!! Once that happens, then the whole issue of illegal immigration will dissipate.

As for Mexico, throughout the years Mexican governments and their pampered elites have intentionally refused to create work opportunities for their poor citizens and instead encouraged them to trek North to the US for work.

We do right in using our military to police the borders that the Mexican government refuses to do on their side.

Maybe we should consider having our military posted inside Mexican territory for border enforcement instead of this nonsensical illusion of "working together" with President Fox. Food for thought!

The old adage that "good fences make good neighbors" certainly seems timely!The corrupt government of Mexico is exporting it's poverty to the U.S. where our corrupt government cannot and will not respond!They will not be satisfied until all of North America resembles that cesspool they call Nuevo Laredo!

Maybe we can provoke a conflict--Does Mexico have any oil?

We (The United States) have a right to secure our borders as we see fit. The Mexican government has no right to even question our actions or motives. Whether it is to eliminate the risk of illegal drugs, weapons, or illigal immigrants - it doesn't matter. If you secure the border to prevent one, you can prevent them all.

First the thirteen colonies, then Texas, then California and all the west, now Why not take Baja California, and all north of Mexico including Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and all the best beaches?

We need to bring the undocumented workers out of the shadows-

and then deport them.

The problem with Mexico is that it is ruled by Mexicans. The goverment should be overthrown and then out-sourced to England and France. Perhaps they could turn it in to another Canada.

The federal government is long overdue in securing the border, bout time. And even though Mexican conventional wisdom says it can't be done we (Americans) need to show them yes it can. The drug lords control the Mexican goverenment anyway so if we truely have a war on drugs then...
Also, as we collect the illegals we need to deport them to Iraq, many openings there and I hear the pay is excellent. Americans need to get off their fat A**es and start mowing their own yards, send their highschool kids to wait on tables and America needs to send those of able body and mind back out to the construction sites, we are not dependant on illegals unless we let ourselves be.

I just don't get why mexican leaders think it's ok for their citizens to migrate to our country, to work illegally here, bringing their money into their country. How is that not exploitation of our generosity. Aside of all the BS of "who else will do those low wage jobs" and "california agriculture will suffer if we deport"..which is total BS and something that is a simple challenge that will work out in the end, why do we think we need these illegal immigrants? It has nothing to do with "respect" and civil rights. it has everything to do with sovereignty, national pride, lawfullness, and work ethic. Why don't mexicans work on their own country more and try to entice their citizens to stay there?

When I see Vicente Fox getting mad that we're not letting his citizens sneak into our country, it just baffles me. "You greedy Americans need to let our poor people sneak into your country to take your money and jack up your economy!"

Too bad the American borders weren't better protected about 450 years ago. Chicanos are of mostly native blood. Go back to Europe if you're so concerned about illegal immigration.

The Native Americans had by far the worst immigration policy ever in the history of the planet. Now these hypocrites who themselves are illegals want to keep a people from a land that doesn't legally belong to them? Oh the humanity

I for one am a tired American, tired of all the comforts we offer to the Mexican people. I'm tired of Spanish bill boards, Spanish phone booths, Spanish signs at home depot. Tired of all the workers at the fast food places that you can not understand when your giving your order. We are a very generous country. We open our country to you, Heck you can get business loans that we as American born can not. All we ask is just do it legally, Learn how to speak the language, Do as all those that came before you did, Do it legally ! Don't come here with your hand out and then complain about OUR government when your running from yours.

Let me tell you what I'm gonna do as a USA CITIZEN in regards to the border situation and the ridiculous gas prices and all the other dumb-a-- things our government has or hasn't done in the past five years.No demonstrations, no marching in the streets, JUST VOTE EACH AND EVER INCUMBENT OUT OF OFFICE IN THE NEXT ELECTION. NOT A THREAT, THATS A PROMISE!

There is a time and place for everyone. I think most Americans do not critize legitamate immigration. I beleive that most Americans however do oppose illegal immigration. We have no oversight over illegal immigration but can somewhat control the numbers of migrants if done legally and properly. I also beleive the "Pantie waist" politicians we elect are selling Americans out to big business, especially the Republican Party, but these days both parties are guilty. They could care less if we are struggling to keep our jobs at a sustainable monetary value. Their only concern is flooding the market with cheap labor to bust up the Labor Unions and force the rest of us to work for less or alter our careers. There are an abundance of Americans who will do those so called "Unfillable jobs". Look at the textile industry, ask the Hundreds of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs because they've been exported to another country if they would do that work. Most would love to have those jobs back, especially in Southwest Virginia. I say do what ever is necessary and use force if that's what it takes to control our borders. After the economic fatigue has been brought under control, then and only then start letting migrant workers enter America, and of course make certain they do it legally.

When all the big American Corporations stop raping all the natural resources of Mexico and all South American countries,then all the immigrants will be able to survive and have a better life.
Americans should know what is going on in this continent, but I think that for many it's more important to see if Barry bonds brakes the Home Runs Record.

It's sad that the American's are turning there backs on the very people that made their country great. Your arrogance and self righteousness are the very reasons you are so disliked by the rest of the world. Everyone owes you and you owe nothing to anyone. Your beloved and moronic president is driving your country into the ground and I, for one, will be there to look down at you.

Money is taken from EVERY American's pocket when undocumented workers take advantage of jobs and social programs without paying taxes. The majority of the undocumented workers come across the border from Mexico. They come because there is no hope for financial success in their home country. What was Mexico's problem becomes America's problem. I don't think anyone can argue with these facts. It's the solution to the problem where people argue.
This country was built upon immigrants. Their skills, culture and efforts have made this the greatest country in the world. An in-flux of LEGAL Hispanic immigrants to America will be part of the continuing greatness. The status-quo of ILLEGAL immigrants flooding across the border will cause strife between neighbors (both personal and national).
If Mexico objects to US National Guard troops, then what alternative do they offer to solve the problem. None, because for them there is NO problem. Illegal immigrants send un-taxed American dollars back to family in Mexico.

I find the previous comments somewhat biased and narrow-minded.

First of all, I agree that we must control the borders; the US simply can not absorb all of the impoverished people from Latin America or any other part of the world.

However, American (corporations, government, citizens) must acknowledge that we have looked the other way too long to simply round up 12 million undocumented aliens and send them back.. Honestly, no one complains when Hispanics build the roads, clean up the hotels, or cleans the yards for below market wages; these people are not the enemy for simply seeking a better life. For those Hispanics that have been for over five years, I do believe that e should offer this group a legitimate means of becoming a citizen.
Whereas, I do believe that we should
DEMAND that the Mexican government should take appropriate economic reforms to provide Mexican youths with incentives to remain home; the US will no longer serve as a "release valve" for the poor of the Mexican government. If necessary, the US should implement economic sanctions (revise NAFTA, embargoes, trade restrictions) to emphasize its point.

Wow, what bigots Americans can be! Spoiled, mindless, ugly Americans. Video-game playing, hot-dog eating idiots. Bible-thumpin', ball-scratchin' jackass killers!

The National guard is being sent to guard our border with Mexico. Are they going to be like the Buckingham Palace guards who just stand there? This is the real WAR. How long are we as Americans going to stand for allowing a group of people come into our country unabated? With no penalties? They come here to drop their maggots. Automatic citizens. Automatic welfare payments. What are our politicians looking for, VOTES? Ther National Guard carry weapons right? USE THEM! Don't think we would see any people running across our borders if they were getting shot at.

Hey Eduardo, What a stupid argument! Of course there are more whites on welfare. We make up 70% of the population. Break it down by percentages and you'll be surprised at what you find. It's not your right to come here to take advantage of the education system or anything else, so if we're so racist here...LEAVE!

"Wow, what bigots Americans can be! Spoiled, mindless, ugly Americans. Video-game playing, hot-dog eating idiots. Bible-thumpin', ball-scratchin' jackass killers!"

I might be a little spoiled.
Not mindless.
Definately not ugly.
Don't play many video games.
Eat an occational hot dog (at a ball game)
'Idiot' kind of redundant with 'mindless' isn't it?
Can't say as I've ever thumped a Bible, nor do I see the point of doing so.
I'll admit that I have scratched, but not enough to be labeled so.
I did shoot a bird once, but never a jack-ass, although you do make it tempting...

America has been a nation of immigrants and will be in the future. The events of 1634 were in the context of a country lacking a lot of the services available today. There were no taxes back then. Survival was difficult. Unrestricted immigration will turn the country into a third world mess. The people crossing the border illegall do not have the skills to survive in the modern society we live in. They are better off in their villages wher they belong.

to Any and Owen, if you don't like it here LEAVE ! !

In response to Mark's posting @12:46: Yes, we are the land for the oppressed, where anyone who loves freedom, hard work, and liberty could find a home. BUT...FOR THOSE WHO COME HERE LEGALLY!!! Please get it right buddy. To call Lisa and others like her, "narrow minded" for wanting the law of this great conuntry of ours to be followed, is just plain ignorant.

Yes we have a similar problem in the uk, we even let terrorist hijackers stay in luxury.

It is time each country looked after thier own first, and then helped others with whats leftover if any!!!

You don't see many homemakers giving away thier monthly salaries to someone down the street, and then wishing they could meet the rising fuel costs...

Meanwhile the so called developing nations have a quick coup or spend all the charity money on weapons...

WAKE UP WORLD...

Mark, Its no longer the 1890s.

"MEXICANS LEAVE USA
PAKISTANIS LEAVE UK

MIGRANT WORKERS HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF MANY PROBLEMS SINCE TIME BEGAN"

although these terms can be seen as rascist, it is ime perhaps, countries governments do face up to the rising problem of movements of people,

so perhaps not as rascist as we first thought more commonsense..

Tim is right to speak out, and perhaps mexicans have had it easy... i mean Transexuals are banned in mexico, and look how many tranny's cross the border to ply the trade to americans...

We need to stop our support, and they will realise and go away!!!

"Wow, what bigots Americans can be! Spoiled, mindless, ugly Americans. Video-game playing, hot-dog eating idiots. Bible-thumpin', ball-scratchin' jackass killers!"

To the uneducated person that wrote this, I imagine a day when the US stops babysitting the world and giving all our hard earned money away,and turns it's back on so-called friends that always have their hands out-- I bet you won't be so critical when you are groveling in the dust for cornbread crumbs--I bet you miss ud then freebie monger!!!!

There was a video game out on the net where you can shoot illegal Mexicans trying to cross the border. Now, this game is real. The national guard will be playing that game live everyday. Let's see how many cross. More food for the vultures.

That's not cool Video Boy.

United States of China is coming soon. Be prepared. LOL.. While you idiots bicker about your neighbors, China is sneeking up on us. China will invade the USA coming thru Canada and Mexico, by air, by sea, the end is near. Speak Mandarin or DIE!

Liberals of my generation were Hamiltonian protectionists, and would rightly called anyone in favor of "free trade" a conservative. Economic Imperialists would be an additional label.
History teaches us that no country can become developed or economically independent without trade barriers and secure borders. Without these protections Multinational Business along with developed countries will rape the world using open borders to drive down wages and reduce the standard of living to the lowest common denominator.
America and every country in the world needs tariffs to protect jobs, local industries, and, most of all, their economic independence. Without economic independence, there is no freedom for the individual or a nation.
As a Liberal and a protectionist, I want my country to have secure borders, bilateral trade, and tariffs. it is also my wish for every country so they can also become economically independent and fully developed.

Yes Mexico has plenty of oil but they want our help to get the money for the equipment to drill it however the US continues to turn them down. It all sounds so stupid to me. I don't understand why they don't dig deep and find the money. Personally if I ruled that country I would make a deal with the Chinese and offer them a percentage of the oil at a fixed rate for X amount of years in return of a loan. If it's true that they need the money it really does not make sense in my opinion that Bush does not cut a deal with them since current oil prices are so high plus it also will make new jobs in Mexico.
It is long past time for Mexico to be aggressive and stop living off America. Their president said that Mexicans work the jobs that even the black's wont work. That's Bull! Some black youths can't get decent paying jobs because the Mexicans get them at a fraction of the pay and that's why many end up selling drugs instead. It's really sad when a kid can't get a job at McDonalds because an illegal Mexican working for next to nothing gets it. I see it all the time. I'm an American who's half Puerto Rican and know plenty of illegal Mexican immigrants and even thou I understand the pain involved with the life of Mexicans I can't help but be upset to see a job go to them when it could have gone to a needy American. That said I have nothing against Mexicans but I do have an issue with the Mexican government. They need to take a good Look at India, they taught everybody English and now they have plenty of America's jobs

We are still debating the immigration issue? Pathetic. I don't worry about issues I have no control over. There are far more important things to worry about than people trying to make a better living for themselves in the United States (not america, america includes north and south). Just be thankful Iran is not south of the US border or Russia is not north of the border, it could be far worse. China and Islamic radical terrorists are a bigger threat to the USA at this point in time.

immigration is going to be a VERY potent issue for the fall campaign. If Tom Osborne - who is God in Nebraska - can lose in the gubernatorial primary, in part because he supported a bill to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at colleges, no one who is soft on immigration is safe. And rightly so.
There are 2 questions - 1) what do we do about the 12 million illegals already here; and 2) what do we do about the next 12 million, and the next after that? The answers are not easy, but I can't believe we can't enforce our laws, and if necessary pass and ENFORCE new ones to punish employers who hire illegals, and stop the flow from the South, in large measure. But the Feds, who have plenary responsibility in this arena, had better do something, with alacrity, because public anger is building, as evidenced by some of the comments on this blog.

I'm so tired of the argument that America is a nation of immigrants...bring us your huddled masses...provide amesty otherwise you will be labeled a racist, etc.

Just because immigration was a BIG part of U.S. history does not mean that policies today should remain the same. Laws change with the times (think about it, cocaine is no longer used in Coca-Cola...slavery was abolished and so on).

Our borders need to be SECURED (Mexico and Canada) and we should OPPOSE any increase in immigration #s.

The future of our country is at stake. Political-correctness and continued handouts will be the ruin of us all.

Quit whineing USA, sure, latin america has been around longer than the USA, but the USA has been the bigger threat and its use of its armies and navy 2 sumit countless latin countries, but Mexico in particular has suffred most, much worse. Mexico lost half its terrority, most immigrants from Mexico, go live in this lost Mexican lands, in fact, its a peacful silent invasion taking place. But not content 2 take its land, the USA, also commited murder. In 1910, USA ambasador Wilson, personally help killed Fransico Madero, the 1st genuine democratic elected president of Mexico. That triggered the Mexican revolution, which cost the lives of more than a million Mexicans. Not just Mexico, but thoughout Latin America, has the USA, help killed freely elected president, and then install dictators who kill and destroy their contries. Why wonder USA citizens when all them illigal immigrants come running from the disastor that your country helped create. So if you want zero immigrants coming from latin countries, stop interfearing in their lands. And if the left wins in Mexico, with Andres Lopez Obrador being elected for president, pls leave Mexico alone.

I hope that my comment was not labeled KKK. I'm not KKK or racist. To be racist, I would have to recognize them as a human of another race. Well, I don't recognize them as humans. They are mexicans, illegals, THEYs, Thems, and ITs. They're not human so why should we treat or regard them as so.

Ship all back to Mexico just like I take all back all the unwanted junk to Walmart. We should also ask Mexico to refund the cost of shipping them, feeding them, storing them, and anything else we provide them.

video boy get real "They're not human"? what the hell is wrong with you? I wish i knew who you were so i could beat the crap out of you.

In spite of not respecting the sovereignty of other nations throughout its history, Americans want theirs respected. Ok. However, you cannot insult the contribution of hard working migrants to your country. Migrants and their remittances contribute to your economy in more than one way.

First, migrants do contribute paying state taxes when they purchase goods and even contribute to social security and pay income taxes when they use random social security numbers to work. Second, the money that it sent home in terms of remittances benefits US companies, such as Western Union, through outrageous transfer fees and a significant portion of the money that gets to Mexico comes back to the US when Mexico imports goods from the US. Approximately 56% of Mexico's imports come from the US. Unlike the rest of the world and the US itself, Latin America still buys American.

Why are they here? We should not take away the responsibility of local governments, but the US should also recognize it plays a role in creating the migratory flow. For instance, the Free Trade Agreement signed during the Clinton administration asked Mexico to open its market for US subsidized corn creating a poverty in Mexico's country side where peasants who survived growing that crop could not compete with subsidized products. Countless proxy wars of the US in Central America that have not only displaced people but also kept in place old elites that block progress. So people leave their countries where the governments cannot solve social socio-economic problems but are allies of the US.

So apart from the Mexican and other regional governments taking action to address the living conditions of their citizens, the "anti-immigrant" Americans should maybe also lobby their government to take away subsidies for their farmers and have a better foreign policy.

Kinky, Larry and Video Boy need to find another outlet for their sick comments. For the most part, most postings to this discussion have followed the rules posted.

Hey Weng, China couldn't beat the U.S. in Korea, which was right next door to China, and you're going to come halfway around the world to do it? Very funny. Shut up and go back to your 28 cent an hour job, commie.

Simple Solution: Declare War on Mexico

1. Declare War on Mexico,
2. Invade (hmm) Monterey
3. Obtain Surrender.
4. Start a new Marshall Plan (See Germany, 1946)
5. Treat padrones, coyotes, drug czars, and such like Nazis: Firing squad or prison. Remove from the Mexican culture.
7. Rebuild the infrastructure.
8. Set a goal of a new Japan/Germany business model, success matching the US by 2015.

Oh, almost forgot, we will need to abandon Iraq to carry this out.

Hey Lawrence

I see others who should also find outlets for their comments, especially those asking people to LEAVE. The discussion by many members here are gentler versions of Video Boy's comments by treating undocumented immigrants as something illegal and not taking a humanistic outlook. Americans are taking the action, the broke a law and they should pay. But, they are not looking at these individuals as humans, who work, pay taxes, obey all other laws, have families, have ties to our society, and are concerned about the welfare of the US. We cannot turn a blind eye to the law. We must justify the law as being fair. In some nations, a female adultress can be killed as a punishment under the law. Its the law, does that make it right? Or does enforcement of the law require some level of morality and conscienceness? The American boy in signapore that was cained, was that degree of punishment justified? A person who steals, is a law that punishes the offender by cutting his hand of a good law? Or in pakistan, the woman who the town council ordered raped as punishment for the actions of the brother, is that justifiable? It was legal. It was the law.

Spliting families, forcing US citizen children to live in a foreign land, foreign culture, in poverty, and in a hostile environment is not morally or ethically correct. However, many who have posted (not just video boy, kinky, and larry) have supported such positions and are willing to vote out representatives who vote with a conscience. Video boy is over the top, but many here are not too far behind.

I consider the flow of mexicans across the southern border to be an invasion. You say you take jobs that Americans don't want. I disagree. The jobs you hold used to be filled by young high school students and senior citizens on a fixed income. You want all the signed to be in Spanish; you want free education; you want welfare for your American born children. Why don't you ask your own government for these social services and STAY HOME!

What does a mexican and a cue ball have in common?
The harder you hit them the more english you will get out of them!

I am an uber Patriot, but Macondo has a point--maybe if we quit medling in other countries affairs we would not draw so much ire on ourselves, but, this comes with a price:
no more hand outs
no more foreign aid--to anyone
no immigration until we sort the current mess out
no more work visas of any type

We need to concentrate on taking care of americans first and sweep our own porch, and then help out only when asked, for example...the Iran crisis--let Israel handle that--they will jack slap the iranians, and as soon as we get a stable govt in Iraq, it's time to come home, and prepare for possible real threats like China or NKorea.
I would love for us to let the world fend for itself for awhile--most are non appreciative of US help any way.

Maybe the french can feed africa ( before they surrender to someone new)-Coissoints and wine for everyone!! YAY!

Maybe we Americans can take a break from helping out and take vacation in Russia--maybe when we spend all that money, they will have a better appreciation of capitalism......just some thoughts.....

Just a note to those posting ethnic slurs (eg 'KKK') and off-point vulgarities (eg 'Larry'). As noted in the "Post a Comment" guidelines at the top of this board, such comments will be deleted and discussion of them will be deleted too.

Mark, you are right, some of the comments are gentler versions of Video Boy, and I do not condone the tone of some of the comments. But come on, no one is advocating cutting someone's hand off, raping them or taking them out and stoning them to death just for being here illegally. Most Americans just want Mexico's citizens to follow the simple rules of this land. Laws and rules are needed to prevent total chaos in a country. Is it fair to other citizens of other countries, that they have to wait for years to get approval to immigrate to this country LEGALLY, when thousands cross the border daily, ILLEGALLY?

hate talk will create enemies against the US
that we cannot defend ourselves against.
Imagine all the racist talk gets to the hearts of the Mexicans. Then they fear our talk to the point that they create partnerships with American Enemies.
Iran China North Korea. They allow these countries to launch attacks from the border
Then millions of Americans are killed-
Shocked surprised and humbled.

The Fact is that Mexicans are Spansish Mixed with Native American- If anyone belongs here its them.

But most of all beware the enemies you make on behalf of OUR country. It could cost more lives then conceivable.
Don't you know our enemies our watching and waiting for relationships to sour.
We can be civil.

We Must Be.

Illegal (against the law) immigrant (refugee); people who are not abiding by the laws set fourth protecting the American people from refugees who are not entitled to be in the United States. It's not rocket science...all you Hispanics who want to live in the USA, do it according to the laws in place and you should be fine. Right now you are living in a country that does not recognize you - you are a nobody - you could die and nobody would even know about it - you are not a contributing factor to our American society!

Personally, I don't have any problems with Hispanics wanting to better themselves, heck everybody deserves making the best life they can for themselves and their families; however it HAS TO BE DONE LEGALLY! Right now you are all simply criminals because you are breaking the law by being in our country.

U cant stop the Mexicans!!! we will not be turned around, this is are home!!! Land of the free!!! home the the brave?? That is no longer Home of the rich and greedy!!! is more like it!

Solution to the problem. First repeal the 14th amendment (no automatic citizenship to those being born here). Second, fine any company hiring illegals one percent of the gross company earnings per illegal. Third create an "America's most wanted Illegals" where any displaced citizen can id an illegal an be rewarded with the illegals job, home, car. This should get all the ex-cons back on construction work and the welfare moms on a new career tracking the new "deadbeats". Create an immigration policy to include an equal number of people from 4 areas of the world. Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. That way , no one race can feel overwhelmed by the other. Close (by any means necessary) the border. I know that this solution will work because both sides don't win anything.

All populated areas on the border should have a militarized fence like they do in Isreal. All unpopulated areas should have landmines 1 mile deep inside the border line with Mexico. All those that employ illegals should be considered felons. All illegals should be asked to leave or be deported. All Banks that allow illegals to use fake ID's for opening accounts should have their funds seized. All those on welfare or unemployed in the US should be payed a living wage to do any job that illegals used to do. Or those people on the waiting list to come to America should be able to work those jobs. Anchor babies should be considerd illegals. NAFTA and CAFTA should be stopped. After all this, Guest Workers with Biometric ID cards should be allowed to do seasonal work with matched employers if they do not have enough employees.

Jefferson, you said that any vulgar posting would be deleted, and yet I still see them. Empty threat, no?

The thing is, we don't need any more people in this country. The country is full. In fact, the WORLD is full. More than full. When I was a kid in the 1980s my social studies textbooks stated that there were 4 billion people in the world. Now we're north of 6 billion, and it's getting worse every year. This is scary.

Central and South Americans are contributing to this crisis. We must not let them overpopulate us. We need to STOP this insanity before there's no green space left, before the animals are extinct!

We don't need anyone else in this country. The increasingly greater and greater waves of 3rd world immigrants are going to capsize the good ship USA.

If the politicians refuse to carry out the wishes of the American people, then the American people have the right- the duty- to rebel. If they won't stop the immigrants, then we will. I can seriously see a civil war brewing...

Bush sending the National Guard to secure the border with Mexico is nothing more than a calculated political stunt to appease his base of right wing conservative lugnuts.

Bush and Rove are controlled by these people and consistenly give into their threats to "stay home" from elections if there demands are not met.

The reality is that The conservatives dont want the Hispanic immigrants here period.
legal or illegal. It's not like they suddently looked up and 12 million illegals suddenly appeared out of the thin air.

It's all based on racism. The conservatives dont want them in their cities, schools, neighborhoods or their churches and they damn sure dont want them dating their daughters.

I would truly love to have President Bush come on tv tonight and announce that their will be a crackdown on all illegal aliens and that they will be rounded up and deported...please Mr. Bush please do that tonight!!!

It's odd to me that anyone would place much emphasis on the Mexicans' reaction to US policy. It's interesting, and informative in an academic sense, but when Mexican dissent is noted as an attempt to judge the wisdom of US policy, I think we've crossed a line.

US policy should be pro-US -- it is the only country that is supposed to think about its own interests second.

I don't care a whit what the Mexican Editorialists Guild thinks of US border policy.

http://www.citizen-journal.net

Surpluses and shortages of labor are a normal part of a free market and do not need to be 'fixed' by the American government. A surplus is a powerful force that corrects the overpricing of labor. Similarly and conversely, a shortage is a powerful force that corrects the underpricing of labor.

The government almost never intervenes in the free market to 'fix' surpluses: e.g. the surplus (indicated by massive layoffs) of labor in the automotive market. Why should the government intervene to 'fix' the shortages?

Over time, a shortage of labor in the unskilled labor-market will boost wages, thus attracting more people into the unskilled-labor market. There is no need to flood the market with desperate labor generated by non-free markets like Mexico. Indeed, when the government eliminates a shortage by importing desperate Mexico labor, the government suppresses wages and diminishes working conditions, hurting the quality of life for American citizens in the unskilled-labor market.

Government intervention in the form of illegal aliens and H-1B workers damages the operation of the free market.

Further, Mexico and several other countries (e.g., the Philippines) are failed nations. Their peoples lack the ability to create prosperous liberal democracies. The Japanese succeeded. The Eastern Europeans are succeeding. The Mexicans have utterly failed.

In response to the continued meddling in American politics by Vicente Fox and his army of illegal aliens, Washington should immediately and aggressively intervene in Mexican politics.

1. Send money and political advisors to support Mexican politicians who will enact and enforce pro-Western economic, social, and educational policies.
2. Force corrupt or incompetent Mexican politicians to resign from politics. For example, freeze the bank assets of Vicente Fox until he agrees to resign.
3. Send American military forces into Mexico in pursuit of Mexican criminals (e.g. drug dealers and human smugglers).

When a foreign nation like Mexico intervenes in out nation, the USA, we should aggressively intervene in the foreign nation.

Since Mexicans lack the ability to fix their own problems (which are spilling over into the USA), we Americans should impose a workable solution on Mexico.

Jefferson,
Today would have been an interesting day to see how the peer ranking system would have worked. Would it just have broken down into two camps, with the most vitriolic posts of both sides getting the highest marks or would people who make reasoned posts (like Mark's above) float to the top. I'm not sure... Are your tech guys working on this?

Don't get me wrong, I like to sample to browse the caustic angry posts. You get a sense of the passion out there. However, to repeat myself: The way this board is currently structured -- allowing fairly anonymous posts (Do you have to log in to washingtonpost.com read your blog? Couldn't you use this to make everyone have just one (anonymous if they want) screen name?) and with you providing the only editing (which surely must be time consuming) -- usually seems to minimize the voice of people looking for a reasoned analysis of the issue, and it makes this blog look bad because it looks like it is mainly read by a bunch of slightly hysterical jerks; though I am almost positive this isn't the case.

Your blog is great. The comments section is not. It is possible to get great spontaneous comments from users just look at amazon and wikipedia. I really believe if you tinker with the incentive structure by decreasing the degree of anonymity and rewarding those who provide good comments as scored by some pier ranking system, you would get much higher quality contribution; possibly even from the same group of people.

Alaska is lucky to even be a part of the United States, so maybe they should stay out of this debate.

I think illegal immigrants coming to the U.S is a issue that rises from large companys using them for cheap labor many in U.S blam the mexian people but they are not to blam The people in the U.S need to get rid of the people in office that let big company do this, company that let people do this are to blam My wife is a immigrant and is from asia and we have filed paper work legal so she can work here everbody deserve a chance dont blam on immigrant blam on people let them come over Our on president has immgrants working on his ranch are they illegal or not maybe we the people us need to look into it

Hey "j"-

Learn how to spell "blame."

Forgive me if I'm repeating any prviously presented arguments, but I could only get through so much of this discussion before feeling an intense desire to stop reading. Much of what I read is embarrassing. Of course we should maintain our borders better, and document all immigrants. But there's no point in repeating racial stereotypes and spouting off self-righteous group think. The question worth dealing with is not "should we police the borders" but "what are acceptable ways of policing the borders" and "what realistic goals can we expect." Once we get to these sorts of questions, we don't have to start playing the blame game and acting like a bunch of jackasses.

Pride is a word that gets thrown around a lot, generally by the isolationist/pro-war/white supremecist types. Everyone on this board who has talked poorly of Mexicans as a people not deserving to be here is a white supremecist. So get over yourselves - that's not a tag you want to keep.

If you can't fit it into your head that the greatest thing about America is how it changes and assimilates different cultures, then you should GET OUT if you don't like it. The GET OUT argument is the tool of morons. Every person in the world has some beef with this country, just like any other country, so it's easy to say GET OUT when someone mentions ways that they want to improve the country. Things won't stay the same, and if you want them to, you're a backwards inbred redneck (sorry for stereotyping against backwards inbred rednecks. I'm sure some of them are quite pleasant).

The question we ought to be asking is where we want things to go. Do we want to become a country that shuns the rest of the world, spreading culture as a commodified export? Some people think so. The problem I see with this is that when we stop getting our influx of immigrants, when we stop being the type of open free place that people want to be, our culture becomes more homogenized and commercialized.

We need immigrants more than anything else. Immigrants keep us vital and powerful. Of course we need to clamp down on illegal immigrants to a certain extent for a multitude of reasons. But to whatever extent we do clamp down, let's not make asses out of ourselves. Let's remain open and inviting, and let's keep our culture rich and diverse. Let's not be just another fallen superpower.

I think the Latinos do their own dirty deeds to themselves, when they speak of what "we" want.

Not to mention "we have rights...".

Illegal immigrants have no rights in this country, not to enter this country, not even to *be* in this country. The most they can do is use the desire of Americans who hire them illegally, as a lead block for their entry and continued presence in the US.

They want to be capitalist workers, they will have to accept the strengths and limitations, both, of the capitalist system. Which is that ultimately the capitalist system will break apart their Latino bonds, and it will no longer be "us" vs "them".

It will be every Latino for him or herself.

And then, only then, will they begin to channel the true spirit of America.

Until then they will be poor ignorant Indians stuck in a neo-Marxist mindset. There is no place for that point of view in the global economy. Solidarity means nothing more than being a very good target for the guns of the military.

From any standard textbook on economics, we know that shortages of
labor are a normal part of a free market and that shortages do not
need to be fixed by the government. Shortages correct the
underpricing of labor. As the price (i.e., wages) of labor rices,
the supply increases and eventually satiates the demand.

The American economy does not need illegal aliens to work in
the unskilled-labor market. If it has a shortage, the forces
of the free market will fix the shortage.

The majority of people who reject this well-known and fundamental
concept of economics are (1) 1st/2nd generation Latinos, (2)
illegal aliens, and (3) business owners.

The motivation of the business owners is that they want cheap labor.

The motivation of the Latinos and the illegal aliens is that they
want to open the border to Mexicans. To justify the opening of the
border, the Latinos and the illegal aliens simply lie. The issue
is race. Nothing more. Nothing less.

As a side note, the central problem is that Mexico is a failed
society. It is a failed society due to the Mexican people.
One insight into this failure is to look at the percentage of
Latinos who failed the California High-School Exit Exam.
30% failed. Latinos deliberately devalue education, reflecting
their cultural background. That, in addition to widespread
corruption and dishonesty, explains the failure of Mexico.

By the way, despite what everyone is saying in this forum, Washington
will maintain an open-border policy. The reasons are that (1) most
Americans are indifferent to illegal aliens entering the USA and (2)
most Americans like the cheap services provided by illegal aliens.
This cheapness of these services, in economic terms, represents a
transfer from wealth from the underclasses to the upperclasses.

When Latinos become 40% of the American population in about 40 years,
I encourage them to use their political clout to vote for politicians
who will enact government programs that transfer wealth from the upper
classes to the lower classes. Many in the upper classes in 2046
will be precisely the retired Americans who fattened their bank
accounts at the expense of the underclasses. One possible method
for a Latino-dominated Washington to get justice is to aggressively
use means-testing on social security payments: any retired American
who has more than $200,000 (in 2006 dollars) in assets shall be
denied social security payments.

I'm a legal immigrant. I know, first hand, that many legal and illegal immigrants have made significant contributions to the U.S.

There are a lot of jobs available in the U.S. and many of them are not palatable to the "native born" for a whole multitude of reasons. We give people the freedom to choose and we certainly don't force anyone to move, but many of the poor in our inner cities _can_ earn an honest living throughout much of the rest of the U.S. But they don't take those jobs and they are not willing to move - like jobs should be handed to them on a silver platter. However, many of these same people lack the work ethic to hold that jobs that an immigrant usually brings.

The ugly truth is that business wants the illegal immigrants, as does many Americans. They turn a blind eye to the false paperwork, and government doesn't regulate it effectively. We get a far cheaper and hard working labor pool than we otherwise would have to pay for - subsequently making our minimum wage laws a joke. BTW, it is ironic that the polar opposites of immigration exist mostly in the same political party - the Republicans. The business special interests, as well as those well off to pay for servants/home services want the illegals to keep labor prices low. Conversly, masses of relatively poor NRA toting right wing base of the Republican Party is also the most vocally violent about getting rid of the illegals.

As for the administration, their claim of a terrorism threat is a smoke screen - it is far easier to enter the U.S. via Canada or via water anyways. Al Qaeda has shown, above all else, the capability to adapt and exploit weakness... how many rational people believe that building a wall on the Mexico border will thwart Al Qaeda? Who actually believes this drivel?

As for drugs, the problem isn't that drugs are coming in through Mexico (or via water or any other way they can come in), but that Americans consume this crap. We buy lots of it and we can't help ourselves. Do we believe that people will stop their drug habits if the border with Mexico is sealed?

In the end, however, illegal immigrants are illegal - and I think that this the #1 issue for most citizens. Instead, since we need immmigrants, we should concentrate on bringing the people we need open our gates to 5-8 million hard working, bright, and good people that will become loyal and productive citizens. At the same time, start getting rid of lots of illegals. The illegals that are here that are hard working, honest people (other than being illegal immigrants), should be given consideration - it would be easier for these people to get good references, etc. Instead of spending billions on a fence, we should spend more on the Border Patrol, but also spend a lot more on INS to be able to let in the people we need and want as well as get rid of those we don't.

Sorry for the lack of proof-reading. Hopefully you get the gist.

Bill,

I don't want this great country of ours to become isolated, non diverse and homogenized (not sure why, but I suddenly crave milk),I agree with you. But I still advocate controlled immigration. We have to doing something about the paper thin border to the south. Let's continue to be a diverse country, rich in diversity with all that each country brings to creating a country of rich cultural backgorunds. But we must do this without risk of becoming a third world country, becuase of the mass influx of poor, uneducated workers. I live in a major city, that has become 40% latin in origin through illegal immigration. Is that what we want for our country? How diverse would that be??

It would be interesting to know exactly what qualifies a nation to rank among Alaskan's "failed nations." I just exercised my fingers on the keyboard and mouse for a few minutes and ascertained that Mexico's GDP per person (at PPP) in 2004 was $9600 per capita, while that of Central and Eastern Europe was $7900. It's true that the growth rate in the latter region is higher, but based on comparisons of relative performance during the period 1998-present, the Europeans should catch up to Mexico in about 40 years. The two regions (Mexico and Central/Eastern Europe) have similar Gini coefficients, too, so greater income inequality isn't a claim that can be made, either. And, of course, large numbers of Eastern/Central Europeans are migrating to the EU-15. So what makes one set of countries a (claimed) success and the other country a (claimed) failure?

I also don't understand the commonly expressed horror that President Fox and the Mexicans should restrict migration to the US because it's against US law, even though it's quite clear that they see it as advantageous to Mexico. When did the US ever enforce the laws of another country on its citizens when it viewed those laws as disadvantageous to them? Why should we expect Mexico to do so?

La Raza is a Hispanic pressure group based on race. La Raza is the Hispanic equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan. The English meaning of "La Raza" is "The Race".

Jose Angel Gutierrez, the person who started La Raza, once shouted, "The border remains a military zone. We remain a hunted people. Now you think you have a destiny to fulfill in the land that historically has been ours for forty thousand years. And we're a new Mestizo nation. And they want us to discuss civil rights. Civil rights. What law made by white men to oppress all of us of color, female and male. This is our homeland. We cannot - we will not- and we must not be made illegal in our own homeland. We are not immigrants that came from another country to another country. We are migrants, free to travel the length and breadth of the Americas because we belong here. We are millions. We just have to survive. We have an aging white America. They are not making babies. They are dying. It's a matter of time. The explosion is in our population."

Judge for yourself. Go to the following web site.

http://ccir.net/AUDIO/TakeoverOfAmericaCD/Menu.html

Listen to the actual recording of Gutierrez's speech at the following WWW link.

http://ccir.net/AUDIO/TakeoverOfAmericaCD/03.mp3

Note that LaRaza has been one of the primer forces demanding that Washington open the US-Mexican border and that Washington grant immediate citizenship to all illegal aliens from Mexico. LaRaza is supported by most Latinos (and specifically, Hispanics) in the USA.

If you are a Thai or a Romanian who has waited 12+ years, in accordance with American law, to enter the USA, how do you feel about Latino bigotry and racism?

Once there are enough Hispanics in the USA via the now and future amnesties, they really will exercise their voting rights - just as they have done in every other democratic Hispanic country on earth.

I'll let those results speak for themselves. America, glance south and see what you will become.

(40 years is just about right - as the other poster pointed out - since we seem to have an amnesty every 20 years or so)

This illegal alien problem is simply one of neglect for heaven knows how long. It is neither a Republican nor Democrat problem but rather that of ostriches who have been pretending to be the spokespeople for us in the White House,Senate and House.

It is impossible and WRONG to try and round up 12,000,000 illegals and boot them out because the overwhelming majority were here long before 9/11--long before we heard the word "terrorism." Furthermore look at the vast numbers who work, shut up and obey the law.

But now, post 9/11, we MUST clamp down hard; if not, our porous borders will allow maniacs with suitcase nukes to enter and hello World War Three. But a very important question arises: how to secure our southern border while not throwing Mexico into such a hissyfit so as to remove PEMEX from our imports. Keep in mind that unstable Chavez in Caracas and uncaring Fox in Mex. City represent 14% of our oil imports. Even though troop deployment on our border is welcome and needed, nonetheless it might give rise to oil problems of great magnitude. Bush is in a fix.

I understand these want a better way of life.

However, your government like mine(US) should help them. Sending people to the US will only cause the US to go broke eventually.

We are very sorry Mexico but you have to start supporting your own people

Illegal immigration is very dangerous. Look what happened to native americans who didn't stop illegal aliens on their lands.

I constantly see North Americans of European descent referred to as 'gringos' by both the Latin American press and politicians, and wonder if this term is derrogatory, and if so, why is it so readily accepted in the mainstream Latin American media? One wouldn't dream of hearing of Latinos referred to by any of a number of racist or ethnocentric slurs in the mainstream American media, and rightly so, because it is unacceptable and prejudicial, and falls outside of the standards that exist here both journalistically and as a society.

When I hear this term (gringo) I tend to want to close off immediately to what is being said by the writer, and instead become incensed that it is acceptable to refer to people in such an insulting manner in a press which so often accuses American media and society of racial bias.

I would like to think that this term is not considered as insulting in Latin American culture as such comments would be if found in mainstream American media. But I don't know that. Perhaps it does contain all of the negative stereotyping associated with any ethnocentric invective. If that is the case, I wonder how any meaningful dialogue is possible between two cultures wherein one is expected to uphold the human dignity of the other in its press, and the media in the other find it acceptable to slander and derride members of the first using racially charged and inflammatory terms.

While the Bush administration worries endlessly about the goings on of the middle east a much more tangible threat is growing south of our borders, and it's called socialism. The notion that someone else is responsible to solve your problems, and from the recent nationalization of oil in south america to the notions of President Vicente Fox that his people and his societies problems can and should be solved by the USA, is one that is going to set back overall world progress if we do not address it firmly.
America has the things that other people in other nations come here seeking because we are a nation that rewards personal responsibility and ambition with material success.
The parasitic forms of government growing in popularity to our south are infecting more and more people in numerous nations everyday, and if we don't deal with this at the level it's at now, the future problems will be a thousand times worse.

Many postings here haven't acknowledged the principle that "Whatsoever you do unto the least of these . . . "
Certainly Mexico needs to fix its economy. But Vicente Fox has shown more service ethic and integrity than most of his predecessors, even though the job of lifting up Mexico is still far from done.
If we build a wall along our USA southern border than can be seen from outer space, and then station our troops along it to machine-gun every Mexican man, woman, and child who illegally crosses it, what does that do to the world's opinion of our country? What does it do to our own historic freedom and self-esteem? South Africa under apartheid, and Dixie prior to the Civil Rights Act, demonstrated all too well what happens to the freedom of even the white upper classes -- let alone the poorer darker citizens -- when racist violence becomes state policy.

Somebody said that Central/South American countries and the US had the same amount of resources. Go and check a map it is not so. The US have more prime farm land that the rest of continent. Same with natural resources, and your country has one of the lowest population densities of the world except at the coasts and great lakes area. Check your latitude and the weather paterns. Anyway, we are really running out of living space on the planet and I don't think population control is the only way to deal with it. We should exploit new forms of energy (nuclear fusion/solar) and we should start more seriously looking at the space around us. Some 40 years ago the idea was very much alive to go and take over Mars and beyond. Now they are just thinking about it again. We have the means even if it is only fission and genetic engineering to try to terraform Mars, and to make a trip to other systems. But who can find the political willingness? I figure we are headed towards a crisis, that will finally push us little by little towards realizing that the universe is big and we will actually need to go for it.

We could do it faster if people would realize that we need to. Sadly politicians are rarely visionaries, and are more the survival scoundrel type. Too bad.

And just how, Concerned Citizen, do you suggest that the US should "firmly" address the economic approaches that you see occurring (and dislike) in South America? Lula da Silva, Evo Morales, Vicente Fox, and others were popularly elected (I exclude Hugo Chavez just to avoid distracting arguments about his legitimacy). Should we influence elections in these countries to avoid this happening again? Should we perhaps engage in a form of "educational" capitalistic evangelism? Or maybe you were thinking of a more military solution? Would it be OK with you if, say, China or the EU intervened in these ways in the US to make our economic policies more in line with what they like?

If we(the US) are not careful, I predict we will have a very nasty situation on the US Southern border in the not too distant future. I believe in securing our borders, and I'm also sick and tired of having to support illegal immigrants with my hard earned money. I don't have a problem with my taxes going to aide truly needy (U.S.)families, but our taxes keep going up and up, and I'm sure it's to keep pace with all of the illegal imigrants who keep coming to our country. Now back to my original comment; if we are not careful, we could have a militarized zone on the border, with Mexican "patriots" (terrorists) attacking our towns and cities on the borders to maintain the current way of life. Who knows, it might get so nasty that it could provoke an all out war with Mexico. That would end up solving a lot of these problems, but at the cost of a lot of lives and property. I believe the heads of state need to get their act together and find a solution to this mess before it is too late.

Folks, take note that illegal latinos come from a culture where "daddy" government is supposed to take care of everything. There is no self-initiative ingrained into them, organizations like La Raza just cater to a political clientele adorned with race reference. Unless most of the countries in Latin America start fixing their own problems I can assure, more illegals unskilled immigrant will keep pouring over, as you can see their problem is now yours, while latinoamerican elites concentrate 90% of the wealth in their hands poverty soars and productivity declines. There is no entrepreneurship, no intention of creating jobs or better infrastructure, the money sent back to these countries ("remesas") are not being used to create long term investments or create businesses that can also create more jobs, all that money is spent in going out, clothes, appliances, electronics, etc., in other words, your dollars promote consumerism and dependence as people over there don't want to work anymore since they are pretty comfortable receiving 300, 400, 500 or 600 dollars a month.

It took me 8 years to get my residence request approved while I was in my native country and when I was here 5 more to get my citizenship, working and studying like mad, never asked for handouts or anything nor pretended I had inherent "rights" just because I am latino. What I have and what I am, I earned it.

So for all those illegals and La Raza: you don't speak for me.

Instead, La Raza should help strengthen political activism in Mexico, Central and South American, demand accountability from those goverments, accountability for all those empty promises every time there are elections, so that those who remain there can get a better life than those like us who had to migrate for a better future and got sick of all the corruption and ineptitude of our politicos.

I am amazed that people who want to prevent the US from getting swamped with hordes of uneducated illegal immigrants are routinely denounced as "bigots" "white supremacists."

Meanwhile, La Raza (the RACE) who advocates the conquest of the continent by mestizos gets a pass, and aren't called out as racist supremacists.

Well Derek, While I'm obviously not the president lol, I'll try to at least address what you said logically. First step in addressing potential problems to the south is to take control of our own borders, in as diplomatic yet firm a manner as possible, allowing the invasion of illegal immigrants from mexico and latin america cannot be allowed to continue in it's current fashion and at it's current pace, I think most rationally minded people understand that. As to influence of the governments in these countries, that's a delicate issue as I'm sure many could recount bungled cia interventions in a number of these places that undoubtedly has contributed a great deal to the anti-imperialistic (read anti-USA) propaganda that a number of the voters in these countries seem to favor over rational solutions to their societal problems.
However, I think the beginning is as apparently we are doing in mexico, to support the clear thinking candidates in their attempts to actually better their country, not merely to "appease" people as socialist and populist notions attempt.

And finally, don't imagine that other countries do not intervene in the affairs of other nations to protect their own interests, this is a popular (haha or maybe populist) misconception about america. Every country acts to protect it's self interest, and any country that does not, does not deserve to consider itself a country at all. China does dictate some of our foreign policy incidentally, including that diplomat who was refused a meeting with members of the bush administration last week, who we more or less cannot meet because China does not acknowledge that nations soveriegnity(spelling?). The european union is highly critical of what is developing in South America, and is only hesitant in that expression becuase it A. is complex due to economic ties (though in a nationalized state, that consideration will fade fast), and B. Because it is in our backyard, and in many ways up to us to if not mediate and deal with, at least our responsibility to be aware of the potential ramifications and have a number of different plans of action ready in the event of more dangerous problems (this includes diplomatic, political, financial, and yes Derek, military forms of response)

The thing to really consider though, is how many military conflicts in this world could have been avoided by simply nipping these developing problems in the bud when they started, instead of waiting until they become sprawling untenable situations, virtually impossible to deal with in any other fashion.

Like illegal immigration.

And thats my say.

We have a responsibility to be the sole deciders of how immigration into our nation occurs, and in order to address issues in other countries, we must first rest our plans and ideas upon such a solid, and tangible foundation.

Hey Ray why all that violence? I was nice to you..yet you felt the need to scream...where is the Education? 70% White uuummm once again it seems..education..is missing...By the way I am American, my grandfather served WWII, my father was an army tunnel rat, it was those great AMERICANS that taught me the importance of getting an education. It seems that as "Hispanics" get educated and into the mainstream society, the more "White America" opposes such reality, just as they once did with the Black community. I for one having my brother die for his country in Iraq serving with the Marines 1st Exp Force out of Camp Pendelton would be upset to hear some of the commets being made, by the same people he died for, so people like you can go one with life complaing about how good others have complaing on why everybody has..instead of saying im goping to educate my self and my children so no matter how many "illegals" come my job and children jobs is secured..Wake up people this is a plot started my our president..so you all can forget how a terrible job he has done with our economy..put blame where it really belongs.

This could all be easily solved by jailing for a period of six months every CEO, CFO, and senior executive in firms employing illegal immigrants, for each illegal worker, up to a maximum of ten years jail time, and placing the jails in the desert near the Mexican border, preferably where there are rattlesnakes to keep them company.

Problem solved.

By the way every Terrorist that have committed a terrosrist act in the USA were here LEGALLY ooohh and some of them were born here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Concerned Citizen,

Taking control of one's own borders is one issue. While we may or may not agree on what the proper course of action here is, clearly it lies well within the purview of the citizens of the US to allow access to their own country. The issue becomes considerably less clear when one looks abroad. The examples you cited of "intervention" in the affairs of other nations (our refusal to meet with Taiwanese government officials, EU criticism of various South American developments) I would put more into the category of "influence" rather than "intervention." Direct support for candidates in elections in other countries is a completely different story. There's a reason that the US itself does not allow foreign funding of national elections, and this is exactly the sort of behavior that has Americans crying "why do they all hate us?" for many years down the road.

I guess my major point is that I'm a small-d democrat long before I'm a capitalist, and in any case national democracy means the right of the people in that nation to choose the form of economy under which they lives, regardless of whether you (or anyone in the US) approve that choice or not. As far as military conflicts in this hemisphere are concerned, a significant number were caused or abetted by US intervention of exactly the kind that you endorse. Besides, I don't think that military threats have any particular credibility these days. After all, we can hardly handle a country with a population of 26 million and a GDP of $100 billion, so what possible chance could we have "nipping problems in the bud" in a nation with 4 times the population and 10 times the wealth?

As an aside, statements like "most rationally minded people understand that" hardly help your argument. If you want to convince people, go ahead and do so. This kind of bluster epitomizes precisely the kinds of problems that have long characterized US relations with the rest of the hemisphere.

These ignorant comments are not doing anything move this issue forward. In my state, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have been contributing to the building of this state for generations and nobody wants to mention the work they've done in the copper mines, agriculture fields, railroads, tourism and now in the state's mighty construction industry. The undocumented Mexicans we have today are just another wave of those workers to build this state. Now many fools have let the politicians whip you into a frenzy about these folks so you can ignore the real threats to our country, like runaway spending, terrorism, and backwards, racist thinking. When will you get it!

Bush has no intention of enforcing the border. This is all a sham. He wants his guest worker program for his rich buddies and in return gives us a promise that we'll get a measly 6,000 national guardsmen. The second the guest worker bill passes, 50 million people will beat a path here. If we fall for this we're as dumb as he thinks we are.

GET THIS GEORGE...WE'RE MAD AS HELL...START PROTECTING THE BORDERS NOW!!!

When you are faced with a country where the government places immigration to a neigboring country as the main feature of its economic policy, there is no way you can even begin to come up with a solution. Its high time the United State stopped making it so easy for the Mexican government and a corrupt wealthy elite not to face up to making the necessary decisions to provide opportunities for the vast majority of its people. The Mexican elite like the status quo because it enables them to enjoy obscene wealth at the expense of their people

Learn to speak Spanish you Gringos. It is your future and it is inevitable and there is nothing you can or will do about it. Afterall your beloved capitalism is all about the profit.

Does anyone wonder how Bush could talk tough about sealing the Mexican border with NG troops and then turn to president Fox and say 'don't worry, its temporary'? Its obvious he is simply trying to get a vote through Congress and is making promises he does not intend to keep. And worse, the solution Bush is proposing would not seal the border.

Bush: It is already a crime to hire illegal aliens. Enforce the existing laws and the illegals will find their own way home once they loose their illegal jobs. Stop assisting corporations in hiring cheap illegal labor at the expense of American citizens. Oh, and by the way, Americans do not have "citizenship papers" you clod!

What a farce,our Natl.Guard stationed at the border with no policy for apprehending anyone!If Guardsmen are attacked by those well armed and ruthless drug gangs are they supposed to run or just point their fingers and shout a loud "BANG-BANG"!

Mexico has nothing to worry about with the National Guard. These units will be rotated in evey two weeks during their training cycle, and it will go on for a year. It is spin, but I don't think the the Republicans in the House will like being hung out to dry by the Administration on the border security issue. They are facing major heat from their voters on this issue.

"It's sad that the American's are turning there backs on the very people that made their country great. Your arrogance and self righteousness are the very reasons you are so disliked by the rest of the world. Everyone owes you and you owe nothing to anyone. Your beloved and moronic president is driving your country into the ground and I, for one, will be there to look down at you"

First, I want to say that I don't like the president, but I do admire a man who said 'ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

In other words this country doesn't owe the Mexicans anything. And, I really hope you realize that this country was built long before they came.

I love five dollar heads of lettuce!

If the flow of illegal immigrants weren't reason enough to strengthen U.S. oversight of its own border, consider the sorry state of the border towns on the Mexican side. Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana and Reynosa are either controlled outright by drug gangs or are at risk of being overrun (if they were ever in the control of Mexican authorities). They not only serve as the point of origin for many illegals, but also conduits for the drug flow into the U.S.

The Mexican Government has demonstrated no inclination or ability to stop either flow and their only response? Constant carping to U.S. authorities about migrant rights and the threat of lawsuits for steps undertaken on OUR side of the border. If that isn't an undeclared statement of WAR, I don't know what is and I have no idea why the U.S. media does not report this angle.

AZfig. You are trying to defend the illegal Mexican immigrants in the US. You can't. We as a people are sick of loosing jobs because of it.
Its simple, we get more jobs, have less crime & get paid more when illigal immigrants don't do the work. I personally would love to work on a road or help build a building; it sure beats the hell out of sitting in an office all day waiting for my job to be shipped off to India.
If Mexico focuses on educating their children to work in a global market by giving funding to the arts, linguistic, corporate business programs and education abroad "(cause we got enough Mexicans)" then job opportunities will start to appear in about 20 years or so and your children will open businesses witch means more jobs for Mexico and no need to risk loosing your life crossing a border because now your economy will grow strong enough to offer government help to people in need Just like in the US. I know it's going to take time but in the mean time the United States needs to start to protect itself.
Mexico is a serious problem and I can't say that I'm against using lethal force to protect its boarders. Just about Every other country in the world does it so what's the big deal? I bet if Americans had no jobs and started flooding into Mexico taking the few low paying jobs you do have you would be saying the same thing.

First the drug trade is big because the goverment controls it and for those who thinks the USA is not corrupt..pleaseeeeeeee as long as there is a buyer there will be a seller!!! jobs going to India uummm I see they are to far so lets blame the mexicans!!!!!!!!!