Activists to cross U.S.-Mexican borders
Published: April 16, 2008
By KEITH WALKER
A group of four Virginia activists will travel to Mexico this week and cross back into the United States on Saturday without carrying government identification.
The action by The People United is designed to draw attention to what its organizers see as the base cause for illegal immigration.
"We want people to realize the larger structural reasons for people immigrating to the United States," said Virginia Leavell, an organizer for the People United and member of Mexicans Without Borders. "Immigration to the United States is the direct result of trade policies that the U.S. passes like the North American Free Trade Agreement."
The People United statements say that NAFTA created "vast disparities of wealth and power" between Mexico and the United States.
The group's decision to make the crossing just west of Nogales, Mexico, along immigrant trails, in an unpopulated area of the desert was influenced by the Prince William County illegal immigration resolution, said Leavell, who grew up on a farm outside of Charlottesville.
Organization members attended the 12-hour Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting in October when the resolution was passed. About 200 people spoke at the meeting. The split between those who spoke in favor of the resolution and those who opposed it was about even.
"That was really a spark for us that there needed to be more dramatic action," Leavell said of the vote to pass the resolution.
Leavell said the The People United is worried that other jurisdictions will enact similar ordinances.
"We don't want hate politics and racist legislation to get passed in other parts of the state," she said.
Staff writer Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.
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In todays dollars Vietnam, World War I, World War II and probably even the Korean War as well easily outpace the Iraq war in terms of lives lost and money spent. Illegal immigration as reported in recent articles in the Post and the Potomac News is far more costly in one year then almost the entirety of the Iraq war currently. The Iraq War would have to drag on for another 1000 years or so to catch up with the social, environmental, and the death results of illegal immigration. Remember 12 legal immigrants are murdered everday by illegal immigrants not counting an additional 12 killed by accidents by illegal immigrants of course the MSM doesn’t report this. Louie employers are already abusing that cheap illegal labor for mass profit, the illegal workers need to be deported and the employers fined heavily and their businesses shutdown. Their is no compromise. At least 12 million illegals are here since it is obvious that the number was lowballed. Probably more like 20+ million. Guest Worker program wouldn’t have worked anyway it was too much like amnesty. Why should we have to wait in line while others get a free pass. Chris Cummings.
Illegal immigration cost more than “all U.S. wars combined?“ That’s a bunch of misinformation. The Iraq war will cost more than all wars combined and is billions of our tax dollars down the tubes. The Republicans had their chance running the government already and are just buying into the scapegoating of “illegals” for their own political benefit. We must remember “illegals” are people who should have rights too. You can’t just pull them by their hair and throw them back over the border. We need to have a program that can put the people already here to work to make magnificent public works like new parks, subways, fixed roads, etc. We must see the advantage America has because of “illegals” and be grateful that we are still seen as a great nation by some people. The Bush “Guest Worker” program was on the right track but had a draconian side. If workers got fired they’d be deported, which opens the door for employer abuse and perpetuates a climate of fear for immigrant workers. I would like a temporary worker program with fair rules that pays workers, not at the American pay rate b/c we’d lose the economic advantage, but at a rate that is at least double what they would make in Mexico. With fair treatment I think the “illegals” would be grateful to us and once Americans see our improved infrastructure they too will be grateful. Plus, the U.S. wouldn’t have to spend as much deporting the several million “illegals” that are supposedly here (must be hard to get an accurate #)
Amnesty didn’t work in 1986 or 2007, congress voted against it and the legal immigrants of the US don’t want it. Is it humane to let people break the rules and laws vs. the many millions who have waited and will wait in line to come into this country legally. Illegal immigration has cost the US far more than all wars combined. Each year it is allowed is another 350-500 billion down the tubes far outpacing the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Be proud of your heritage but do not dare force your heritage upon others. Be a part of the solution not a contributor to more problems. Chris Cummings
I’d like to see people come up with less hateful, more humane solutions. “let’s throw out all the Mexicans” and “send them all back” come from the same ignorant people who think the U.S. should be able to bomb whoever it wants. Half the people who comment on these websites are supposedly Christians but I see them more and more as hypocrites. Let’s be a little less hateful of people who, under a fair immigration system can come in temporarily under just treatment and help us maintain our standard of living. Many Americans are quick to hire cheap Mexican labor if it benefits them directly for housekeeping jobs and construction so let’s stop the hypocrisy. And, stop labeling everything amnesty because then you must be filled with bitterness. You don’t have to give so-called illegals citizenship because most want to go home someday but they would appreciate not having to live in fear. Radicals are a big problem in this country because they tend to be irrational and very emotional. Americans are too emotional. The more emotional the person the less rational they are.
We can’t just let anybody into the U.S. but we still need many of these Mexican immigrants to do dirty jobs Americans don’t like. I personally agree that immigration reform is needed but think that those behind it are cruel, racist, and draconian people. When your vegetable and fruit prices go up too far and companies struggle to fill jobs nobody wants there will be repercussions that is why only moderates can solve this problem. Instead of hating we can make better use of these people to fix many broken things in this country like our roads. What is sad is that if you look Mexican the police will stop you just for that even if you are legal and people in small towns will be suspicious of you because of this new anti-immigrant climate. This new climate of scapegoating and hate disturbs me. The U.S.A. has bigger problems, like this can-of-worms Iraq war that is sucking our tax payer money into oblivion along with our foreign debt. Suddenly Mexicans are no longer worthy to clean toilets in offices here and they’re to blame for everything bad in the U.S…people just want to hate and are bitter when things get bad and they need to blame someone…blame your stupid president: Ol’ W. Obama couldn’t have said it better.
We are not all children of illegal immigrants. My ancestors came here after immigration laws were established and waited their turn to enter and to become citizens. The process does still exist and others do still follow the process. Face it, this country is not the same as it was 200 years ago. Laws have been established for just about everything including immigration. There are laws that prohibit minors from smoking and from drinking. Child labor laws exist now, back then they did not. Opium and other such drugs were legal at one time, not so now. Slavery was also legal at one time. Initially women and blacks could not vote or receive an education. There were no cars and no speed limits back then. You must recognize that the country has evolved and is not some vacant piece of land waiting for someone to stake claim. Laws are necessary and need to be enforced. Why should immigration laws be any different? If you say everyone is entitled to be here no matter what the circumstance, then you should leave your home’s door wide open. You are no more entitled to your home than anyone else. Regardless of how much work and money you put into your home, it isn’t your home anymore than it is the home of some person who just entered the country illegally. Do what you can to make everyone who enters comfortable, but be aware that you may find your home adds people at a pace with which you can’t keep up. If only there was a way to add people in a more organized fashion. If only there were some kind of law…
Between 15-20000 years ago even “Native Americans” ancestors immigrated to America. Since their is no evidence of any humans in the Americas before that point as well as evidence showing that humans moved down the Pacific Coast after crossing the land bridge between Eurasia and the Americas. So no race is the true rightfull original inhabitant of the Americas. As a matter of fact it looks like South America was one of the last continents to have human life populate it, just going by fossil and dna evidence of course. Google “Early human migration” Chris Cummings
To Mr. rebelreggie, your spanish as well as your english writing stinks! just let me remind you that your comments are as lost as you are. first of all, if you are a Native American you have the right to throw every human being out of this country but if you are not, you are just a son of an “illegal” that came to this country from Europe. welcomed to America!
Once they cross…dont let them back in.
Kgotthardt the silent majority would far overwhelm a few hundred people outside who more than likely a majority do not have any right to be there, much less to vote and what were they protesting again? Proper enforcement of laws already on the books. Hope they come around again, the next time i hope they get arrested. Leavell and People United should be very worried that other jurisdictions will pass these same regulations, for it was a good Resolution, ACLU bullet proof unless of course someone comes up with the old racial profiling excuse. Which by the way has to prove systematically that it is being abused. Is it not racial profiling when the police go after a certain description suspect. LOL. Chris Cummings
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