OK, like it or not, the
Immigration Bill is here to stay. I don’t envy the daunting task that lies before the House and Senate
as they chisel an
Immigration Bill from the two versions that passed through
Congress this week.
My question is where do President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox really stand on the bill itself?
No one really knows. Before the bill went through congress, neither side supported the bill outright. The moderate stance from both sides of the border has worried everyone, even me. One article I read yesterday said that Bush’s soft support actually upsets members of the GOP. Even though Vicente Fox has received a warm welcome from his visits in Utah, Washington, and California, his people are worried on both sides of the border because of his waffling. This is evident from the headlines and the protest rallies I’ve read and seen.
Fox has said that building a wall is not the answer and that it isn’t enough. While this is true, he said nothing about what he’s done to stop the flood of illegal immigrants from his country that cross the border every year for the possibilities of a better future.
While Fox actually stated that healthcare, education, and nutritional support has improved for low-income Mexican families, it’s not enough of an incentive to keep them in Mexico. They are still sending U.S. dollars back to their country, which may be doing more harm to the already fragile Mexican economic crises rather than helping it.
I don’t think we will know where either person stands on the immigration issue. Soft support may be better than no support, but a side must be chosen and adhered to. We won’t know which side to stand on until a final bill is drafted from both versions and passes Congress. We can only hope and pray.