Mexico deports their illegal immigrants

Some see Mexican president's criticism of Arizona immigration law as hypocritical. The recent outcry stems, in part, from recent reports about Mexico's own policies against illegal immigration.

Several people pointed me to an interview Mexican President Felipe Calderon gave to CNN in which he acknowledges Mexico deports illegal immigrants from Guatemala and other Central American countries.

Calderon’s recent visit to United States received lots of attention this week because of his criticism of Arizona’s new immigration law and his call on U.S. legislators to pass a comprehensive reform bill.

Arizona's new law requires law enforcement to question people they reasonably suspect are here illegally.

Some people are wondering why the Mexican president is pushing the United States to pass more lenient immigration laws than those that exist in his own country.

In his interview with Calderon, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked the Mexican president about a recent Washington Times article that stated Mexico's immigration laws were tougher than those passed in Arizona.

Under the Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. Mexicans who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals. - The Washington Times.

Calderon acknowledged the law, but said it was changed a year ago. He said illegal immigration is no longer a crime in Mexico.

Blitzer then asked Calderon if an immigrant from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador or Nicaragua can just walk into Mexico without proper immigration paperwork and get a job?

“No, no,” Calderon responded. “If -- if somebody do that without permission, we send back -- we send back them.”

Calderon acknowledged arguments from residents in Arizona and Texas who only want to protect their borders like Mexico has been doing along its southern border.

Calderon called it a “powerful argument.”

“That is one of the reasons why we are trying to change our policy,” he said. “….In the past, Mexican authorities were in a -- in a -- in an unfortunate way in the treatment for immigrants. But now we are changing the policy. We changed already the law. And that is different today. We are trying to write a new story, talking about immigrants, especially coming from Central American countries.”

The "quote, unquote" immigration debate in 2009.

It's been quite a year for the immigration debate. Here are just a few quotes culled from some of the biggest stories of 2009 that we covered in This Land. Thanks for making it a successful first year for the blog.

Happy New Year!


"It’s pro-family, pro-jobs and pro-security. And the time to pass it into law is right now. " Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D -IL) introducing his 600 page bill on Dec. 15 to reform the nation's immigration laws.

"He's not the devil, but he is certainly a man who is right now not making it easy to understand why he's making the public-policy choices that he is." -- Former CNN host Lou Dobbs talking about President Obama to Fox’s Bill O’Reilly on Nov. 17 after leaving the cable news network.

“In the middle of one of the worst recessions in American history, our N.C. Community College Board decides to help illegal immigrants enroll in college when our state unemployment rate is 11 percent.” - Ron Woodard, director of NC Listen. In a Nov. 30 email regarding voters in a Civitas Institute competition selecting a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to enroll in N.C. community colleges as the year’s worst bill.

"You go to work every day and if you make a mistake, you got a colonoscopy coming from the command staff." -- Senior Cpl. Glenn White of president of the Dallas Police Association, in October after 20 Dallas police officers wrongly gave $204 traffic tickets to some drivers who didn’t speak English.

"He's out having a taco." -- ESPN announcer Bob Griese on Oct. 24 in response to a query from a fellow announcer asking where is Juan Pablo Montoya. Griese received a one-game suspension for the comment.

“It’s all politics.” - Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaking to the press on Oct. 6 after the federal government stripped his office of its authority to patrol for illegal immigrants.

"You lie!" - U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson shouted to President Obama during his address before a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9.

“I can tell you that within our organization there are real racists." Roy Beck of NumbersUSA, which advocates for greater immigration restrictions, in a July 10 meeting with advocates in favor and against immigration reform.

"There are extremes in our coalition who really are for open borders; who really are for emptying the jails. And you know we get tagged with them. They get wrapped around our neck the same way the hate crimes get wrapped around Roy’s neck." -- Douglas Rivlin formerly of the National Immigration Forum in a July 10 meeting with advocates in favor and against immigration reform.

"At the end of the day, if we're going to achieve legalization of a major share of the undocumented, we realize there will have to be some give and take over worker verification. We're not against it necessarily if all of the other pieces of immigration reform fall into place." -- Mike Garcia, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877 in Los Angeles.

"I was just trying to save lives. We're not asking permission from the United States to save people's lives. We never have, because we know they'd say no." -- Walt Staton, 27, a volunteer with the humanitarian group No More Deaths who was convicted of littering on federal land because he left jugs of water for illegal immigrants walking through the desert.

"It’s not an ethnic thing. If you look at how people in East Charlotte live. They eat in these restaurants. We're known for the restaurants. The community is supporting the restaurants. We’re trying to market the restaurants. So for the whole community to be labeled as not accepting of Latino people and diversity it is a slap in the face." - Ed Garber, chairman of the Eastside Political Action Committee, who says allegations are off base that the clampdown on the taco trucks operating on Central Avenue is a form of ethnic discrimination.

"The idea was great if we had the money. It was basically an add-on. But if the funding is not there, it's not there." - Sen. Larry Martin, a Pickens County Republican on a planned hotline to accept complaints about illegal immigrants not being set up in South Carolina.

We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody. It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would- be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border. It is putting a strain on border communities, who often times have a deal with a host of undocumented workers. And it keeps those undocumented workers in the shadows, which means they can be exploited at the same time as they're depressing U.S. wages. - President Barack Obama in a White House press conference about his first 100 days in office.

Enforcement advocate drops Dobbs

A N.C. immigration enforcement group has withdrawn its support for Lou Dobbs and suspended its website calling on Dobbs to run for President. Americans for Legal Immigration PAC announced yesterday they're responding to membership angered over Dobb’s about-face on immigration issues.

Once one of the staunchest anti-illegal immigration advocates, the former CNN anchor angered supporters when he told Spanish-language network Telemundo that he now supports a plan to legalize millions of undocumented workers. He long called these programs an unfair "amnesty."

Dobbs is reportedly considering a run for Senate or possibly even President. He seemed to be trying to change his image as an enemy of Latino immigrants by re-positioning himself as a champion of one of their main causes. Both sides of the debate doubted his sincerity.

"While Mr. Dobbs claims his positions have not changed, however, that is not the perception of many of our mutual supporters," said William Gheen of ALIPAC, which opposes giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. "His recent comments on Telemundo and his national radio show supporting some kind of path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is inconsistent with positions of ALIPAC and the views of most American citizens."

ALIPAC officials say they circulated the video of the entire Lou Dobbs interview on Telemundo to over 30,000 national supporters. Gheen said internal polling showed that over 70 percent of the group’s supporters were upset with Dobbs's comments in support of legalizing illegal immigrants. ALIPAC opposes any path to citizenship form of Amnesty for illegal aliens

ALIPAC created the Loudobbsforpresident.org website. The group says it was the first national organization to call on Dobbs to run for President. Gheen was invited on Dobbs show to speak about the effort.

"We've received so many demands from prior Dobbs supporters to remove their pledges of support that we have to suspend all operations on the Dobbs fan sites," said Gheen. "Lou Dobbs has deeply offended his base of supporters and ALIPAC is going to remain loyal to those Americans who support our existing immigration laws instead of Amnesty disguised as reform."

Is Dobbs trying to make nice?

Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs had long been considered one of the most vocal anti-illegal immigration advocates on television and radio.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the former CNN anchor, pondering a run for the Senate or maybe even for President, is trying to wipe away his image as an enemy of Latino immigrants by positioning himself as a champion of the fast-growing ethnic bloc.

In an interview Friday, Dobbs told Spanish-language network Telemundo he now supports a plan to legalize millions of undocumented workers, despite the fact that he long called these programs an unfair "amnesty."

"Whatever you have thought of me in the past, I can tell you right now that I am one of your greatest friends and I mean for us to work together," he said in a live interview with Telemundo's Maria Celeste. "I hope that will begin with Maria and me and Telemundo and other media organizations and others in this national debate that we should turn into a solution rather than a continuing debate and factional contest."

Dobbs mentioned a possible legalization plan for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., saying "we need the ability to legalize illegal immigrants under certain conditions."

Advocates on the left and right side of the immigration debate seemed perplexed by the about-face of his stance on the issue.

Frank Sharry, who heads America's Voice, a group that advocates for legalizing undocumented immigrants, told the Journal that Dobbs's conversion isn't credible, given his history of opposing efforts to liberalize immigration policies.

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, which seeks strict border enforcement and opposes legalization, said he admired Mr. Dobbs and will "watch him for several months before drawing a conclusion."

Click here to connect to the Telemundo website where you can see video of the interview in English.

Dobbs: Obama's 'Not the devil, but...'

Former CNN newsman Lou Dobbs said Monday that CNN pushed him out the door because its top executives didn’t want to offend President Obama. Dobbs spoke to Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, his first interview since suddenly leaving the network.

In his last few years at CNN, Dobbs had became one of the staunchest and most powerful critics of illegal immigration. He told O'Reilly that CNN executives didn’t seem to mind when he lobbed such criticism while George W. Bush was president.

The New York Post reported that CNN gave Dobbs an $8 million severance package. O’Reilly also asked Dobbs if he’d consider running for a New Jersey seat in the U.S. Senate. He didn't rule it out.

"A lot of things are on my mind, I'm not going to be coy about that," Dobbs said. "My wife and I are thinking about a lot of opportunities. I'm very blessed that I have a lot of opportunities. I guarantee you 100 percent I'm going to remain in the public arena."

The two also talked about the controversy over Obama’s birth certificate, reported death threats made to Dobbs, and his family’s concerns about a gunshot fired near his N.J. home.

Then O’Reilly threw out his most pointed question: "Final question, Barack Obama, is he the devil?"

Dobbs didn’t flinch.

"He's not the devil, but he is certainly a man who is right now not making it easy to understand why he's making the public-policy choices that he is."

Next up: Dobbs continues his media tour. Tomorrow, he's scheduled to appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. That should be interesting.

Here is a video clip from the interview from O'Reilly Factor. The actual interview begins at 2:20 minutes.

Photo Credit: Willens/AP

Lou Dobbs headed to FOX...tonight

Lou Dobbs, the controversial former CNN host, is heading to Fox – at least for one night. He’s going to be a guest of Bill O’Reilly tonight at 8 p.m.

The O'Reilly Factor guest appearance is fueling speculation that the outspoken anchor and one of the most powerful critics of illegal immigration will soon be working full time for Fox News or Fox Business.

O'Reilly is bound to ask Dobbs about his future. I wouldn't be surprised if Dobbs breaks news during the show and announces he's joining the network.

Fox News said last week that they had not had any discussions with Dobbs. But The New York Times reported in October that the Fox Business Network was eying Dobbs for a potential position.

Apparently CNN president Jonathan Klein offered a Dobbs a choice, according to the Times: Either vent his opinions on radio and anchor an objective newscast on television OR he could leave CNN. He eventually decided to go.

It’s tough to believe that the widely popular Dobbs will not land on his feet at another network. In his last broadcast, he said only that he was considering “a number of options and directions.”

Dobbs’s show drew an average of 631,000 viewers in October, putting him in third place behind Fox News and MSNBC.

(AP Photo/CNN, Mark Hill, File) (AP Photo/Jim Copper)

White House: President is a citizen

The White House said there is probably nothing that would satisfy the so-called "birthers" who contend the president’s Hawaiian birth certificate is fake.

CNN and radio host Lou Dobbs helped bring those lingering questions back to life last week when he, among others, wondered aloud whether the president is “undocumented.”

Many of the birthers contend the President was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland.

Several lawsuits were filed during the campaign season challenging then-Sen. Obama's eligibility to be president. All were rejected.

The White House responded to the most recent controversy this week as the issue gained momentum across radio waves and online blogs.

"If I had some DNA, it wouldn't assuage those that don't believe he was born here," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Monday. "But I have news for them and for all of us: The president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 50th state of the greatest country on the face of the Earth. He's a citizen."

Above: President Obama's 1961 birth announcement published in the the Honolulu Advertiser.

The Hawaii health department also reiterated this week that Obama's birth records are valid.

"I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."

Photos: President Barack Obama in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome), (AP Photo/The Honolulu Advertiser)

Could Obama be "undocumented"?

CNN and radio host Lou Dobbs touched off a firestorm last week when he wondered aloud on his radio show whether President Obama is a naturally born citizen and might be "undocumented."

"I'm starting to think we have a document issue. You suppose he's un... no, I won't even use the word undocumented, it wouldn't be right."

Here is short excerpt of the radio show.
Here is a longer excerpt of the radio show.

The photo below provided by the Honolulu Advertiser shows President Barack Obama's birth announcement, left column, center, in the Sunday Aug. 13, 1961 edition of the paper.


In response to similar charges raised during last year’s campaign season, FactCheck.org reported last year that the Obama campaign released a digitally scanned image of his birth certificate. FactCheck.org staffers say they’ve seen and examined the original birth certificate and deemed it authentic. In November, FactCheck.org reported that the Hawaii’s Department of Health confirmed that Obama was born in Honolulu.

Photo: President Barack Obama (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais), (AP Photo/The Honolulu Advertiser)