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The Reporters: US mid-terms

Lourdes Heredia

The immigrant vote


President Bush has just signed a that includes the funding needed to build several hundred kilometres of fence along the Mexican border.

fence_afp.jpgThe Democrats insist the Republicans are using the immigration issue to win votes, but the bill to build the fence was voted through by two thirds of the Senate, including senators from the Democratic Party. One of the Latino senators told me they have to "protect" the vote of the constituency. So, who can accuse Mr Bush of playing politics now?

The problem is that both parties have long-promised to do something about illegal immigration; that not only affects the conservative base of the Republican Party, but also the Latino community living legally in the US. For them, as surveys show, immigration is the most important issue facing this country.

They might not be a majority right now, but they have lots of power in key states. In California alone there are a million US-born children of immigrants aged 18-24 who, if mobilised, could change the course of the 2006 mid-term elections. Something to think about it, isn't it?

Lourdes Heredia is Washington correspondent for the 91Èȱ¬'s Latin American service.

°ä´Ç³¾³¾±ð²Ô³Ù²õÌýÌýPost your comment

  • 1.
  • At 02:05 AM on 06 Oct 2006,
  • Susan Starke wrote:

The children of immigrants will vote for their interests as American citizens. Citizens of Hispanic origin (or any origin) are not going to support immigration policies that price themselves out of low-wage jobs in construction, farming and the service industries. I recently read an anecdote about a young man whose parents came to the US illegally. He, of course, is a legal citizen who wants to find work in construction but can't afford to work for the wages offered. When you're legal, you can't compete against illegals for jobs because your employer has obey the law with you and actually pay you minimum wage and follow OSHA laws. You're also not willing to live in a shack with 15 other people. The American children of immigrants will not be willing to give up their lifestyle aspirations for the sake of ethnic solidarity.

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  • 2.
  • At 04:21 AM on 06 Oct 2006,
  • Juan Farrillo wrote:

It will be important for the United States to build the fence inside the Mexican border, not just for security reasons but for the legal liability, since assuredly someone will climb up onto it and fall to an untimely death inside US territory if they do not.

Last time I checked, an "attractive nuisance" embues within it liability for those upon whose property it is situate, especially if they knew it.

?Wouldn't that be the final burn, to lose their massive border property holdings to Mexican litigants, after sucking up all that 91Èȱ¬land Defense porkbarrel given to throw it up?

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  • 3.
  • At 05:09 AM on 06 Oct 2006,
  • Taos Bill wrote:

If Rep. Foley was the only thing going wrong for the Republicans right now, your thesis may be correct. But, compared to the real or imagined failings of the Democrats in 1994, everything is falling apart for the Republicans. The ultra right do not like the neo-cons, Iraq is a disaster, tax cuts which primarily benfit the rich, humongous deficits, no social security reform, corporate power, no Bin-Laden after 6 years, America's loss of standing and respect world-wide, Katrina failure, etc. etc. must mean the overthrow of a corrupt, arrogant and monumentally inept regime. The scariest thing about America and Americans today is that 30-40% of the population still thinks the current Republican administration is doing a good job.

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  • 4.
  • At 03:34 PM on 09 Oct 2006,
  • Melvin V McCoy wrote:

Whenever the problem of illegal immigrants is reported in the news media, or discussed in conference the word "illegal" is always dropped and only immigrant is used; creating the impression (on purpose) that all previous immigrants have common cause with the illegal immigrants.

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  • 5.
  • At 07:24 PM on 09 Oct 2006,
  • a penny wrote:

Americans Just won't get it. The best fence is to strenghten Mexico Economy by promoting coporation create jobs in Mexico en masses that would help lifting Mexican Living standards.

Once it established, this long term fence will be the best project America ever achieve in return with the gurantee prosperity of future American economy.

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  • 6.
  • At 12:36 AM on 10 Oct 2006,
  • Alien wrote:

Question!!!

Who is going to build the fence along the Mexican border?

Thank you "Illegal immigrants" for the produce you pick in the fields, for the food you cook in the restaurants and the houses you build !

I believe the Americans should say an anticipated "Thank you" for the fence you will build too!

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  • 7.
  • At 12:51 AM on 10 Oct 2006,
  • J Hall wrote:

It is not the job of the United States of America to pull Mexico out of its 3rd world status.Nor is it our job to "liberate" other nations of their evil leaders.The Mexican economy is Mexicos problem,Saddam is Iraqs.It IS the job of the US government to ensure that our economy remains strong,without illegal parasites draining it,and it IS their job to catch and prosecute the criminals responsable for 9-11.But as we have seen,the current crop of "leaders" are incapable of doing their job the way it should be done.Building a fence along the border is just the first step towards righting many wrongs,and the only reason that fence is being built is because the US government sees that if it does not do its job,the citizens will.Re:minutemen.

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  • 8.
  • At 10:48 PM on 10 Oct 2006,
  • Ann R wrote:

Those who worry about jobs being stolen from hardworking Americans should be looking at the entities called Corporations that have been claiming rights as a *person* in order to protect themselves from responsibility while they ship jobs overseas, kill small business ownership by squelching locally owned businesses and skipping town with the profits, pollute the air and water but shift cleanup bills to taxpayers, cut pay for their bottom of the barrel jobs, and stick bankrupt municipalities with emergency healthcare costs. The Bush administration has given these corporate raiders the green light to screw American workers and hide profits in offshore banks. Ever hear of Kenny Boy?

The entire noise about immigration is a manufactured smokescreen designed to obscure the truth about the ongoing rape and pillage of America by amoral Republican supported corporate profiteers. That’s what the GOP calls “protecting the American People.â€

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