OPINION:
With boundless hypocrisy, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has accused Arizona of opening the door “to intolerance, hate, discrimination and abuse in law enforcement.” That’s ironic, considering some of the Mexican laws rigorously enforced on foreigners. These include:
c Illegal entrance into the country is a felony punishable by two years of imprisonment.
c Illegal re-entry is punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment.
c Foreigners may be expelled without due process.
c Visitors lacking legal documentation and identification are subject to arrest as illegal aliens.
Foreigners seeking Mexican citizenship are obligated to provide a birth certificate and a bank statement confirming economic viability, establish that they can purchase their own health insurance and pass an exam given in Spanish. All levels of law enforcement from the military to local policemen are compelled by national mandate to enforce all immigration laws.
The enforcement of Mexican immigration laws on illegal aliens from Central American has been so draconian that the Red Cross has protested numerous times about the severe abuse, coercion and bribery schemes for which the Mexican government is notorious. There is a word to describe such duplicity from Mr. Calderon and our liberal media: hypocrisy.
TONY FAVERO
Half Moon Bay, Calif.
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