Americans would love.  However, Mexican officials haven’t been sharing

that idea with us as they press for our Congress to adopt the

McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill.

That’s too bad, because Mexico, which annually deports more illegal

aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it

handles the immigration issue.  Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be

an illegal alien in Mexico.

At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring

American law in line with foreign legal norms, it’s noteworthy that

nobody has argued that the U.S. look at how Mexico deals with immigration

and what it might teach us about how best to solve our illegal

immigration problem.

Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures

that foreign visitors and immigrants are:

~ in the country legally;

~ have the means to sustain themselves economically;

~ not destined to be burdens on society;

~ of economic and social benefit to society;

~ of good character and have no criminal records; and

~ contributors to the general well-being of the nation.

The law also ensures that:

~ immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;

~ foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;

~ foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country’s internal

politics;

~ foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or

deported;

~ foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or

deported;

~ those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.

Who could disagree with such a law?  It makes perfect sense.  The

Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens — and the

denial of many fundamental rights to non-citizens, illegal and illegal.

Under the constitution, the Ley General de Poblacion, or General Law on

Population, spells out specifically the country’s immigration policy.

It is an interesting law — and one that should cause us all to ask,

Why is our great southern neighbor pushing us to water down our own

immigration laws and policies, when its own immigration restrictions are

the toughest on the continent?  If a felony is a crime punishable by more

than one year in prison, then Mexican law makes it a felony to be an

illegal alien in Mexico.

If the United States adopted such statutes, Mexico no doubt would

denounce it as a manifestation of American racism and bigotry.

We looked at the immigration provisions of the Mexican constitution.

[1] Now let’s look at Mexico’s main immigration law.

Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican

society:

~ Foreigners are admitted into Mexico “according to their possibilities

of contributing to national progress.” (Article 32)

~ Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful

elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their

sustenance” and for their dependents. (Article 34)

~ Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the

equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed

detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave

like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican

laws, and when “they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.”

(Article 37)

~ The Secretary of Governance may “suspend or prohibit the admission of

foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest.”

(Article 38)

Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the

country:

~ Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal

immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of

illegal immigrants. (Article 73)

~ A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual

who comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each

individual’s identity. (Articles 85 and 86)

~ A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants

(Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number

(Article 91).

Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false

pretenses, may be imprisoned:

~ Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned.

(Article 116)

~ Foreigners who sign government documents “with a signature that is

false or different from that which he normally uses” are subject to fine

and imprisonment. (Article 116)

~ Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or

imprisoned as felons:

~ Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished.

(Article 117)

~ Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the

country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years.

(Article 118)

~ Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up

to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121).  Foreigners who

misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico — such as working

with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.

Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony.  The General Law on Population says,

~ A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to

five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the

country illegally.” (Article 123)

~ Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico

instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)

~ Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will

be deported. (Article 126)

Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves

considered criminals under the law:

~ A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping

the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in

prison. (Article 127)

~ Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into

Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

All of the above runs contrary to what Mexican leaders are demanding

of the United States.  The stark contrast between Mexico’s immigration

practices versus its American immigration preachings is telling.  It

gives a clear picture of the Mexican government’s agenda: to have a

one-way immigration relationship with the United States.

Let’s call Mexico’s bluff on its unwarranted interference in U.S.

immigration policy.  Let’s propose, just to make a point, that the North

American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member nations standardize their

immigration laws by using Mexico’s own law as a model.

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“Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ‘We the people.’ ‘We the people’ tell the government what to do, it doesn’t tell us. ‘We the people’ are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world’s constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which ‘We the people’ tell the government what it is allowed to do. ‘We the people’ are free.” Ronald Reagan