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by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
Published -in Spanish- in Mexican daily Reforma
I recently went to Sonora to see first-hand the Altar-Sasabe route traveled by so many Mexicans seeking to cross into the United States. I’d been told that groups of people huddle next to the border waiting to cross over. Polleros give adults drugs to speed them up, to make them edgy. Children are fed drugs to calm them down, to keep them from crying or reacting to the fear of the adults. While there, I met a little girl who grabbed hold of my hand, tightly, and would not let go. Even though she could not understand what was going on around her, children can sense when they are in danger.
Right now, record numbers of migrants are risking their lives to cross illegally into the US. These people face innumerable dangers, from criminals along the road to treacherous desert terrain. The little girl whose hand I held faced real danger at the hands of the polleros that led the group; I still think about her.
President Bush has put forward a plan to legalize the status of people working illegally in the US, as well as to increase the numbers of visas for those who want to come legally. The idea is to recognize the contributions of workers illegally in the US, to bring them out of the shadows. Because even if that little girl and her family made it across the border, they would still not be without fear. However, right now the President’s idea is just a plan. The Congress must act to make the plan a reality. It will be a long process of debate and compromise, as in any democratic process. So what is going on at the border now?
Obviously, the Border Patrol has to enforce existing laws. There is no amnesty, nor will there be. Seeing the surge of people currently trying to cross this dangerous desert border, the Border Patrol must react. On March 16, the Department of Homeland Security announced the Arizona Border Control (ABC) operation. Some in Mexico said that this program represented a militarization of the border, but this view is wrong. The program does use technology to assist Border Patrol agents in dangerous and inaccessible terrain. The goal of the program is simple: save lives while, at the same time, exercise the responsibility of every sovereign nation to control its borders.
Beyond the debate over border policies and procedures lies a more fundamental issue that needs much more attention: the criminality of the polleros. Preying on the hopes and dreams of migrants, gangs of polleros are increasingly violent. Many polleros also traffic in drugs, but find it even more lucrative to traffic in human beings. They move their human cargo without regard for the lives and safety of the people in their “care.” They rape women, kidnap children for ransom, and sell girls and boys into prostitution. They abandon groups of migrants with no water in a vast desert, with the promise that their dream is just two hours away. The reality: the city is two days away by foot. They separate parents from children and husbands from wives to extract more money, under threat of violence or even murder. The fact is, the polleros don’t care if people make it out of the desert alive. For them, human beings are merchandise. It is our joint responsibility to break this endless cycle of abuse and violence.
To break the cycle, the USG will continue to focus resources on the border. This year’s ABC operation follows an operation called ICE (acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Storm. The goal: combating human smugglers, specifically in the Arizona death corridor. Since October 2003, ICE Storm resulted in more that 2,059 arrests, 162 indictments, as well as the seizure of 86 assault weapons and nearly 2.5 million dollars. Local police credited ICE Storm with a more than 30 percent drop in homicides in the Phoenix area in the last quarter of 2003.
We can take hope from the recent actions taken by the Fox Administration to prosecute polleros and to disband the network of corrupt officials who were supporting them. U.S. authorities have arrested thousands in the United States who are involved in human trafficking. Still, both countries must do more to respond to this crisis.
As recently mentioned by Secretaries Ridge and Creel, our two governments are working in a collaborative way to address the safety and security of Mexican citizens who try to cross the border illegally. The lawlessness and chaos in the Arizona corridor must be addressed, for the safety and security of all people in that area, whether Mexican or American. In a few short days, the working group introduced by Ridge and Creel will begin talking about ways to remove migrants from the dangerous clutches of the criminal gangs. We will work out ways to ensure that families stay together, out of harm’s way. The Mexican government has the responsibility to ensure the safety and prosperity of its citizens. The US government has the responsibility to ensure that, regardless of the legal status of the person, they are treated with dignity and humanity while on our soil. Together, the two governments have promised to take steps to meet their responsibilities.
For those stranded in the desert on a sweltering day with no food or water, the fact that these talks are taking place means very little. Migrants deserve results this summer. For that reason, we remain committed to repatriation discussions and other humanitarian efforts. We will spare no effort in this cause. I know that we’re up to this challenge.
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