EDITORIAL

Translated By Halszka Czarnocka

May 29, 2006
El Salvador - Diario Co Latino - Original Article (Spanish)

Representative James Sensenbrenner, Chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee, backs legislation least favored by advocates of immigration
in the U.S., reviled by some as a member of the 'xenophobic right.' (above).

BBC NEWS VIDEO: U.S. Senate passes
immigration reform bill, May 26, 00:02:57


Senator John McCain (right)and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, sponsors
of the more-lenient Senate immigration reform bill. But even their reforms
are too harsh for many advocates of undocumented migrants. (below).





Minuteman volunteers build a fence along the U.S.-Mexican
border near Palominas, Arizona, on Saturday. (above);


BBC NEWS VIDEO: Anti-immigration advocates build border
fence along Mexico-Arizona Border, May 28, 00:02:33


Migrants in the Arizona Desert make their way
through peril to the land of opportunity. (below).


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The xenophobic right in the U.S. Congress continues to push for the martyrization of migrants, the almost 12 million men and women who have not only built their lives in the United States, but have also contributed to the development of this powerful nation.

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The most hopeful sign of progress took place with last week’s vote on an immigration reform bill in the Senate, which included provisions for legalizing between 7 and 8 million of the undocumented aliens. But under the bill, there are two categories of immigrants who are not well-treated.

On one hand, the Senate bill would offer temporary legalization and residence permits, at the end of which the immigrant must leave U.S. territory. Those covered under this provision would have to apply at a border immigration post for permission to re-enter the country. And then there is a third category, which would cover migrant workers who have lived in the U.S. for 2 years or less. For them, the reform would change nothing, or in other words, indiscriminate persecution and violations of their human rights would continue.

This is why over 5 million of these immigrants continue to live in danger and anguish. Their last remaining hope is that the skill of their leaders will manage to convince more members of Congress and the American public that U.S. immigration rules are unjust. As we have earlier said, the immigrants are there not because they want to be there, but because millions have been literally expelled from their own countries, which have embraced the neo-liberal model of development [], leading to exclusion and impoverishment of large portions of their societies

Because it has undermined national economic models and coerced governments to follow World Bank and International Monetary Fund prescriptions, Washington is responsible for the misery that goes on in many Latin American countries. If the United States wishes to attract fewer immigrants, it should allow Latin American governments to introduce development models that are more inclusive and allow them to stop paying unjust levels of foreign debt. These funds could then be used to create jobs which would guarantee future development.

The United States should include in its immigration reform the immediate elimination of foreign debt, for nations like El Salvador and other Latin American republics. If it fails to do so, the eyes of immigrants will always be turned toward the North, with or without a wall, with or without guards, with or without the persecution.

Spanish Version Below

Sigue el peligro y la angustia para los migrantes en Estados Unidos

Monday, May 29, 2006

La derecha xenofóbica en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos, sigue pujando por martirizar a los migrantes, esos casi 12 millones de hombres y mujeres que no sólo han hecho su vida en los Estados Unidos, sino que además han contribuido al desarrollo de esa potente nación.

La noticia de la semana anterior, en este tema, fue la votación del senado de una reforma que incluía favorecer entre 7 u 8 millones de indocumentados, lo más alentador de la reforma, no obstante, hay otras dos categorías no muy favorables para los migrantes. Por un lado, el senado establece legalización temporal y permiso de estancia transitoria, al término del cual deben abandonar territorio estadounidense. Los que se acogieran a esta salida, tendrían que acudir a algún puesto fronterizo para solicitar el ingreso.

Y una última o tercera categoría es para trabajadores migrantes que tienen dos años o menos de residir en aquella nación, para quienes la reforma no cambia en absoluto. Es decir persecución indiscriminada y atentatoria a los Derechos Humanos.

Por lo tanto, más de cinco millones de migrantes siguen en peligro, y en zozobra, sin más esperanza que la capacidad que tengan sus dirigentes para convencer a más congresistas y a la comunidad estadounidense, de lo injusto de las medidas migratorias estadounidenses.

Ya hemos dicho que los migrantes no están porque quieren, sino porque, millones han sido literalmente expulsados de sus respectivos países, al aplicar modelos excluyentes y empobrecedores como el modelo neoliberal.

Estados Unidos es responsable de la miseria que se vive en muchos países de América Latina, por contribuir a socavar los modelos económicos nacionales y obligar a los gobiernos a seguir las fórmulas del Banco Mundial y del Fondo Monetario Internacional.

Si Estados Unidos no quiere más migrantes, entonces, debe dejar que los gobiernos nacionales latinoamericanos instauren modelos que permitan la inclusión, que dejen de pagar la injusta deuda externa, y con dichos fondos creen fuentes de trabajo con lo que se garantizaría el desarrollo.

Estados Unidos debería incluir, en su reforma migratoria, la eliminación, inmediata de la deuda externa que tienen los países como El Salvador y del resto de América Latina. De lo contrario, la mira de los migrantes estará siempre en el norte, con o sin muro, con o sin guardias, con o sin persecución.