IMMIGRATION – AGAIN

I am bad at sourcing quotes. Either that or the quotes I remember are so unimportant they are forgotten. I thought it was John Stuart Mill who said something like: “I would claim no right for my country that I would not immediately grant to all other countries.” In looking through his quotes I could not find it, nor could I find it being said by anyone else. I won’t claim that one for myself though. That one is too good for me.

Here’s one that I know is mine because I’m composing it as I write:

“Any country that makes laws or commits acts that are discriminatory towards American citizens or property should have the same laws or acts applied to their citizens or property.”

I thought of that when the Japanese were letting American produce rot on their docks in an underhanded effort to discourage imports. It’s disgraceful that the United States took no action. If they turned around one boatload of Hondas all of that crap would have ended in a flash. They don’t want to import US beef? Okay, we’ll quit buying you motor bikes until you change your mind.

Then I started thinking about that again when all this immigration conflict began. The Mexicans, in particular, complain about US immigration laws and how they are enforced. Even the president of Mexico has criticized US laws.

Okay, here’s a solution that is sure to satisfy the Mexican contingent involved in that stuff. Why not adopt Mexican immigration laws to apply to Mexicans in the US? Just adopt all the immigration laws on the books in Mexico or perhaps just what is in the Mexican constitution. What could be more fair that that?

There is even some precedent because a United States Supreme Court Justice recently cited a foreign law when writing an opinion. So it is a small step to adopt their law.

What is their law? A guy did some research for The Institute of World Politics. Here is some of what he found:

By J. Michael Waller

Mexico's constitution expressly forbids non-citizens to participate in the country's political life.

The Mexican constitution denies fundamental property rights to foreigners. If foreigners wish to have certain property rights, they must renounce the protection of their own governments or risk confiscation. Foreigners are forbidden to own land in Mexico within 100 kilometers of land borders or within 50 kilometers of the coast. Article 27 states,

The Mexican constitution denies equal employment rights to immigrants, even legal ones, in the public sector. Article 32: "Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable. In time of peace no foreigner can serve in the Army nor in the police or public security forces."

The Mexican constitution guarantees that immigrants will never be treated as real Mexican citizens, even if they are legally naturalized.

The Mexican constitution forbids immigrants and naturalized citizens to become members of the clergy. Article 130 says, "To practice the ministry of any denomination in the United Mexican States it is necessary to be a Mexican by birth."

The Mexican constitution singles out "undesirable aliens." Article 11 guarantees federal protection against "undesirable aliens resident in the country."

The Mexican constitution states that foreigners may be expelled for any reason and without due process. According to Article 33, "the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action."

The entire article is *here*.

So what’s wrong with adopting their laws and treating Mexican citizens the way American citizens are treated in Mexico? What could be fairer than that?

Am I missing something here?