Tuesday, April 4, 2006

Suppose You Were an Illegal Immigrant in Mexico...


Many commentators are shocked at the inhumanity of illegal immigration and undocumented workers. Mexican immigrants, they complain, are subjected to indignities that have no place in a just society.

Quite so. But just read what Mexico wrote into its 1917 constitution on the matter of foreigners, as told by Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.. He’s reporting on a paper Mexico's Glass House (pdf) by J. Michael Waller.

In Article 33 of the constitution: "Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country." You mean, like take part in mammoth demonstrations and marches?

In Article 55 foreign-born Mexican citizens are banned from becoming federal legislators. Each must be “a Mexican citizen by birth.”

In brief, Waller writes:


  • Immigrants and foreign visitors are banned from public political discourse.
  • Immigrants and foreigners are denied certain basic property rights.
  • Immigrants are denied equal employment rights.
  • Immigrants and naturalized citizens will never be treated as real Mexican citizens.
  • Immigrants and naturalized citizens are not to be trusted in public service.
  • Immigrants and naturalized citizens may never become members of the clergy.
  • Private citizens may make citizens arrests of lawbreakers (i.e., illegal immigrants)
    and hand them to the authorities.
  • Immigrants may be expelled from Mexico for any reason and without due process.


It’s nice to know just how advanced and civilized we Yanks are, after all.

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