The Arrogance of Mexico

The Washington Post has a story up called, "Tensions over immigration law may dominate Calderón's visit."

President Felipe Calderón arrives in Washington this week for a two-day state visit that was supposed to be a celebration of U.S.-Mexican cooperation in his drug war. Instead, it is likely to showcase Mexico's frustration over Arizona's tough new immigration law, which Calderón has described as anti-Mexican.

Here's a country that can't even control its own territory, has marauding drug gangs that threaten the state itself, endemic corruption of epic proportions, and that exports a huge segment of its population to the United States. According to the Post story, almost 10% of the Mexican population lives in the U.S.  Mexico even has harsh restrictions of its own on illegal immigration, yet its president thinks he can tell the U.S. government what to do regarding the internal laws of a U.S. state.

In Mexico, the political class from right to left has closed ranks to deplore the Arizona measure, which has dominated the front pages and TV news here. Elected officials from the three major parties are exhorting Calderón to challenge it in Washington

Rather than deal with their own self-inflicted problems, Mexicans would rather indulge in America-bashing, from Calderon on down. If Obama had any spine whatsoever, he would tell Calderon in no uncertain terms that the U.S. will not be lectured about its laws from Mexico, particularly when Mexico's failure to control its own borders, and its encouragement of illegal emigration has caused the very problem Arizona is trying to contend with.

Naturally I don't expect Obama to actually stand up for the U.S.  When does he ever? No doubt he will grovel and apologize, and commiserate with Calderon about those nasty Arizona Republicans and their horrible new law.

Arizona's Immigration Law

I haven't posted anything about it until now because illegal immigration is not a hot-button issue of mine. I favor greatly-expanded legal immigration from Mexico and other Latin American countries, and support an amnesty program that would allow current illegal residents to obtain citizenship. In general, I think the vast majority of illegal immigrants benefit the U.S. and our economy. But having said all that, I don't have a major problem with the Arizona law -- if I understand it correctly.

Border states such as Arizona do have serious problems caused by illegal immigration. The federal government has failed to control the border, and the states have to act on their own. Although I am inherently suspicious of any increase in police powers, it appears that the Arizona law merely allows/requires police to enforce existing immigration law, although certain specific provisions might not stand up under court scrutiny. I see nothing to warrant the hysterical, borderline crazy overreaction by the usual suspects. Byron York, writing in the Washington Examiner, does a good job debunking some of the apparently misinformed criticism.