An International Approach to the American "Border" Crisis

The events that have transpired over the last month within the Mexican American communities throughout the United States and within the halls of Congress have left the American public feeling lost in a mire of so-called alternatives. Protests by those who support open borders have run up against a growing isolationist community that wants to build up walls to protect against outsiders. Whether it is racism or elitism does not matter; there is a need for a real solution to the public policy nightmare that is the American border. However, the solution is not in keeping out illegal immigrants by building a wall or by kicking the eleven million illegal immigrants from Mexico back across the border. The solution from the American perspective is in forcing Mexico to take care of their people so that the prosperity of America is not a beacon for poor Mexicans to have no recourse but break the law.

The Mexican national elections in July 2006 provide a major opportunity to sweep away the lax domestic policies of the Vincente Fox administration. American president George W. Bush has been an ally of Fox, including failed plans over the last six years to expand guest worker programs, increase citizenship eligibility for Mexicans, and to take the illegal immigrant out of the "shadows." The front runner in the Mexican presidential race is opposition leader Andres Mavel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party. Obrador is currently running seven points ahead of Fox's successor Felipe Calderon and is talking about leaving foreign policy on the backburner in order to take care of the people of Mexico. The early polling has shown that Mexicans, two thirds of which are under the age of thirty, are responding to his call for prosperity at home before dipping their toes in international affairs.

It is obvious that President Bush and his Canadian ally Stephen Harper are not going to promote such a populist leader, as they have connections to the ruling National Action Party. However, the Mexican expatriate community and other community activists do have an advantage by having one toe in the waters of American politics and another in the waters of Mexican politics. They need to turn their protests from the narrow argument over guest worker programs toward a larger argument for a populist revolution in Mexico. These protests would also fit well with the growing discontent with the conservative Bush administration. Overall, the international grassroots effort between Mexican and American communities will be incredibly decisive.

However the Mexican voters decide to vote, Americans need to keep track of the new administration's approach to the illegal immigration issue. An Obrador presidency would do more to assuage the problems of domestic flight as well as reforming NAFTA to be less damaging to the Mexican economy. There is some bad news here for die hard capitalists, as NAFTA has proven a boon to venture capitalists and big business investors. But a change in NAFTA will go a long way toward ensuring economic stability in American, which won't sway so much as the flight of jobs and factories from this country continue. However, a repeat of the Fox administration's torpor should arouse an American response that includes economic sanctions and public reprimands that will take a strong approach against a supposed ally. Nations that are allies are typically allies because they receive tangible benefits from others. However, our relationship with Mexico has become one sided and we need to let our friends know that the strength and prosperity of our nation are built on a strong system of legal immigration.