From the Border Report #2

Nearly 10 million people live in the US-Mexico border area. About 23 percent of the population on the US side lives at or below the poverty line, compared with a national average of 12.4 percent. The border states on the Mexican side have poverty rates below the Mexican national average. The border area in the US consists of 48 counties in four states and is one of the poorest areas in the country. Three of the ten poorest counties in the US are located in the border area. Twenty-one of the counties on the border have been designated as economically distressed areas. There are about 10,000 border patrol agents working along the 2,000-mile US-Mexico border. In contrast, about 340 agents work along the 4,000-mile US-Canada border. Mexico is the US’ second-largest trading partner. US exports to Mexico in 2000 were over US$100 billion and US imports from Mexico were over US$135 billion.

The first day of the border trip I am on as part of a human rights tour was spent in San Diego. We had a full day in meetings with the Mexican Consul of San Diego, the Chief of the San Diego area Border Patrol, a roundtable with religious, environmental and labor leaders, and a large evening community meeting spnsored by the Border network Human Righs Committee.

Here were some of the things we heard:

-150,000 people cross the border in the San Ysidro port of entry daily; 41.77 million crossed in 2005.

-The Metricula Consular (consular ID) is now recognized as an acceptable ID in 391 cities, 166 counties, 1203 police departments and 404 financial institutions in the United States. In the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, 11,000 such cards were issued in 2001; in 2005, 17,000 were issued. The cards are now issued with security features such as holograms, making them difficult to forge.

-In 2005, over $20 billion in remittances to Mexico were made; generally, remittances are estimated to be about 10% of an immigrant’s earnings.

-Border crossing deaths in the San Diego sector: 16 in 2002, 33 in 2003, 16 in 2004, and 20 in 2005.

-The number of unaccompanied minors repatriated to Mexico: 2,285 in 2002; 3,238 in 2003; 4,111 in 2004; 5,368 in 2005.

-In the opinion of the Mexican Consul in San Diego, law enforcement cannot control migration itself. Complementary labor markets are needed. Mexico is a younger society than the United States. Given the income differential between the two countries, economic development in Mexico is needed. What’s needed? Passage of McCain-Kennedy, a guestworker program, regularization/earned adjustment for the undocumented. We need to look at migration regionally and as partners.

-In the San Diego sector, 80% of the smugglers are US citizens.

-According to the Chief of the San Diego Border Patrol, the assault of Border Patrol officers is on the increase (with rocks, slingshots, etc.). in 2004, there were 134 such assaults; in 2005, 259. Already in FY 2006, there have been 112 assaults.

-The President’s “Secure Border Initiative,” signed in October is important to keep in mind: (a) enhance border enforcement, (b) enhance interior enforcement, and (c) implement a temporary worker program. We must recognize that people are coming across the border to make a better life.

-10 tunnels to sneak into the US have been discovered since the beginning of the year. Often the same smuggling operation has two wings: one for narcotics, the other for human traffic.

-While 2000 miles of fencing is not necessary, because different parts of the border required different strategies, one thing that is needed is electronic monitoring/cameras along the entire 2000 miles.

-Mexico ranks third in the world in terms of the number of millionaires in its population.

-According to community groups, NAFTA has resulted in growing poverty in Mexico and along the border. Labor rights are violated in Mexico and environmental degradation has resulted.

-Groups urge the passage of McCain-Kennedy, termination of sweeps, non-passage of the CLEAR act, stopping the Minutemen, and stopping the demonization of immigrants which is a new form of racism.

-Workers themselves voiced opposition to the Bush guestworker plan that does not lead to legalization. They doubt if significant numbers of undocumented would step forward for such a deportation trap.

-Those who want progressive immigration reform must learn to speak the political language of Washington, DC, in order to argue in favor of the “right way” of handling immigration. Progressive reform has a strong moral foundation.

bh