Coalition touts immigration as top issue for candidates

Members of the International Coalition of Mexicans Abroad said Saturday that immigration issues should be given priority by Al Gore and George W. Bush.

"Whoever wins needs to consider us as one of the most important economic pillars in this nation," said Lazaro Altamirano, Chicago president of the group, which has more than 100 members here. "We have the right to all services as residents of this country and human beings."

CIME was founded in February in Dallas to defend the political, economic and social rights of Mexicans living in the United States. The organization is holding its second meeting this weekend in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen at Casa Aztlan, a Mexican social and educational organization.

The meeting was held days before the visit of Mexico's President-elect Vicente Fox, who will meet with President Clinton this week. Fox will propose a gradual opening of markets and borders between Mexico and the United States.

All 30 members attending the meeting supported amnesty for the approximately 6 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

"If Mexicans knew they have a legal status, they would feel more secure and would also be more productive," said Tomas Ramirez, president of Casa Guanajuato, a club representing 9,000 Mexicans from that state living in Chicago. "Mexicans don't enjoy benefits even when they don't pose a social burden but pay taxes."

They also called for creation of an independent body--similar to an ombudsman--to protect the civil rights of Mexicans, and the elimination of fees on the $6 billion Mexicans send annually to their homeland.

"CIME could become an agency to send money transfers to Mexico at no cost," said Jorge Mujica, CIME's secretary in Chicago.

Convention members also proposed to extend the voting rights of Mexicans to state elections there. The Mexican constitution was modified a few years ago to allow Mexicans abroad the right to vote, but only in presidential elections.

Last year, the Mexican Senate stalled legislation needed to prepare the mechanism to allow Mexicans abroad to vote in presidential elections. Fox has said this will be one of his priorities.

For Jose Chapa, a Mexican who has lived in Chicago for more than 40 years, amnesty for undocumented immigrants with no criminal record would consolidate the benefits of the free trade agreement between the United States and Mexico.

"Since NAFTA has worked wonderfully, we should devise an immigration agreement that has no winners or losers," said Chapa, who is the first U.S. citizen of Mexican origin to recover his Mexican nationality, which he did in 1998.




Previous Articles


Grab an immigration chat buddy!

  See What's Going on in Our News/Debate Forum:

  See What's Going on in Our Help/Support Forum: