Mexico: The 51st State?
It appears increasingly likely that positions on immigration and border policy will play an unprecedented role in the 2008 elections. The Mexican authorities have lost what little control they had over trafficking in humans and drugs, as recent events in Neuvo Laredo and the Arizona border show. And from a recent Pew study, we learn this alarming fact:
A survey released last week by the Pew Hispanic Center found more than four in 10 Mexicans are willing to leave their country to live in the US. One in five would risk a dangerous, illegal border crossing. Most surprising, one in three college graduates wants to flee.
Whether we like it or not, this is our problem now. Tougher border control and immigration policy is part of the solution, but as our experience with drugs shows, if people want something bad enough, they will get it.
In practical terms, this means conditions in Mexico are so bad that people will (and do) willingly risk death or imprisonment to leave. I don’t know what the answer is, but Mexico needs more of our attention. This is unfortunate, because we have so little attention to give, with the War on Terror, Iraq, and Afghanistan. However, the problem demands a solution…and quickly.
You wonder what the US would’ve looked like if we had decided to keep our troops in Mexico City after we achieved victory in the war with them. Probably untenable, but interesting to speculate on.
I guess you could lump in the same question if we had achieved victory over the Tories in Canada during the War of 1812. When I go up to BC every Fall on vacation, no one really objects too strenuously to the idea of being annexed to the US one day.
In the same way that drug use and trafficking laws don’t stop drug use and trafficking, immigration laws don’t stop illegal immigration. And we have, so far, shown a terrible unwillingness to enforce our immigration laws.
The US is incapable of fixing the problem so long as the living conditions and economy of Mexico are so bad – relative to our own – and we have little to no control over the Mexican economy.
I think it is worth discussing, and maybe trying, a policy change that would allow an unlimited number of workers to enter the US from Mexico. We would require them to work (supposedly something they want anyway) and could, even, grant them status after some period of consistently positive work experience (3 years? 5 years?).
Coincident with this change in policy would be stepped up enforcement of illegal worker laws – directed at the employers rather than the employees.
Worth a try ‘cuz what we’re doing ain’t working.
The problem with letting an unlimited number of Mexicans into the US is that Mexico doesn’t control its southern border either. Letting in just Mexicans means letting in an unlimited number of Central and South Americans at the very least. And the problem with that is we don’t know all of their motivations. That 98 percent just want a decent life means that 2 percent are coming here for nefarious reasons. And 2 percent of 10 million people is 200,000 more bad guys.
Actually, were Mexico to become a state, it would be much easier to build that wall on our southern border.
karl maher you have a pretty good idea. actually though i think you only started a list. with good and bad columns. your idea would be in the good column. donald trump or steve wynn buying all the hotels on cozumel would go in the bad column. the price to stay at one would skyrocket would also go in the bad column. one more state getting hit by hurricanes would increase insurance rates would go in the bad column. the price of tequila would go up. not a good thing, imo. interferring in china’s move into central america would go in the good column. not trying to rain on a good idea but i think you have to weigh all aspects.
as far as immigration goes i have no problem with as many or as much as anyone wants. just make it legal immigration. once you put the word “illegal” in front of the word “immigration” i do a 180 in my opinion.