Mexico to deport Cubans heading to U.S. illegally

[peejay 327]

Mexico to deport Cubans heading to U.S. illegally

By ALEXANDRA OLSON Associated Pres

Oct. 20, 2008, 3:48PM

MEXICO CITY — Mexico agreed today to deport Cubans who sneak illegally through Mexican territory to reach the U.S., a step toward cutting off an increasingly violent and heavily used human trafficking route.

The agreement signed by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa also criticized U.S. policy that generally allows Cubans who reach U.S. territory to stay, while turning back most caught at sea.

Cuban migrants in recent years have increasingly headed for Mexico — often to the coast near Cancun — then overland to Texas because it has become so hard to dodge the U.S. Coast Guard and reach Florida to qualify for U.S. residency.

The Department of Homeland Security said 11,126 used the Mexico route last year, compared to just 1,055 who landed in the Miami area.

Before today, Mexico rarely sent back Cubans caught entering the country illegally. Many were held for a time, then were given 30-day transit visas to continue on to Texas, where Cubans present only identity documents and undergo medical and background checks before being welcomed to America.

Under the new agreement, Mexico agreed to deport Cubans found illegally in Mexico, both those that arrive from their native island by boat and those come up through Central America.

Cuba agreed to a mechanism for accepting the deportees.

Perez Roque said the agreement would lead to "the immense majority of Cubans being repatriated." Some 2,000 Cubans are currently being held in Mexican immigration detention centers.

"I am sure that this memorandum of understanding is going to significantly reduce attempts to use Mexico as a route to getting to the United States," he said.

Mexico has grown increasingly frustrated with the Cuban migration, which often involves ruthless human trafficking gangs.

In June, gunmen snatched 33 Cubans off a government bus headed to an immigration station in southern Mexico, possibly to extort money from them or their smugglers. Many of those migrants later turned up in the U.S.

All detained Cuban migrants now have armed police escorts.

Several Cuban-Americans believed to be involved in smuggling have been killed in recent years in or around Cancun, and smugglers have stolen hundreds of speedy boats from Florida docks for use in the trade.

Perez Roque said his visit to Mexico was a sign of improved relations between the two countries.

Espinosa agreed, saying that trade between Cuba and Mexico had increased 79 percent in the first eight months of this year, compared to the same period a year before.

"Neighboring friendly countries need to support each other," she said.

Ties between the communist island and Mexico soured under the 2000-2006 presidency of Vicente Fox, when Mexico voted in the U.N. in favor of monitoring human rights in Cuba. Relations reached a low in 2004, when both countries called home their ambassadors.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...ld/6068706.html

[HAL 9000 96]

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

[panamania79 2]

Mexico to deport Cubans heading to U.S. illegally

By ALEXANDRA OLSON Associated Pres

Oct. 20, 2008, 3:48PM

MEXICO CITY — Mexico agreed today to deport Cubans who sneak illegally through Mexican territory to reach the U.S., a step toward cutting off an increasingly violent and heavily used human trafficking route.

The agreement signed by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa also criticized U.S. policy that generally allows Cubans who reach U.S. territory to stay, while turning back most caught at sea.

Cuban migrants in recent years have increasingly headed for Mexico — often to the coast near Cancun — then overland to Texas because it has become so hard to dodge the U.S. Coast Guard and reach Florida to qualify for U.S. residency.

The Department of Homeland Security said 11,126 used the Mexico route last year, compared to just 1,055 who landed in the Miami area.

Before today, Mexico rarely sent back Cubans caught entering the country illegally. Many were held for a time, then were given 30-day transit visas to continue on to Texas, where Cubans present only identity documents and undergo medical and background checks before being welcomed to America.

Under the new agreement, Mexico agreed to deport Cubans found illegally in Mexico, both those that arrive from their native island by boat and those come up through Central America.

Cuba agreed to a mechanism for accepting the deportees.

Perez Roque said the agreement would lead to "the immense majority of Cubans being repatriated." Some 2,000 Cubans are currently being held in Mexican immigration detention centers.

"I am sure that this memorandum of understanding is going to significantly reduce attempts to use Mexico as a route to getting to the United States," he said.

Mexico has grown increasingly frustrated with the Cuban migration, which often involves ruthless human trafficking gangs.

In June, gunmen snatched 33 Cubans off a government bus headed to an immigration station in southern Mexico, possibly to extort money from them or their smugglers. Many of those migrants later turned up in the U.S.

All detained Cuban migrants now have armed police escorts.

Several Cuban-Americans believed to be involved in smuggling have been killed in recent years in or around Cancun, and smugglers have stolen hundreds of speedy boats from Florida docks for use in the trade.

Perez Roque said his visit to Mexico was a sign of improved relations between the two countries.

Espinosa agreed, saying that trade between Cuba and Mexico had increased 79 percent in the first eight months of this year, compared to the same period a year before.

"Neighboring friendly countries need to support each other," she said.

Ties between the communist island and Mexico soured under the 2000-2006 presidency of Vicente Fox, when Mexico voted in the U.N. in favor of monitoring human rights in Cuba. Relations reached a low in 2004, when both countries called home their ambassadors.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...ld/6068706.html

Believe it or not,Mexico has strict immigration laws.

[Ban Hammer 14,272]

zomg mexico hates brown people!

[peejay 327]

Believe it or not,Mexico has strict immigration laws.

So does the USA, but no balls to enforce them. It is considered to be uncompassionate and unsympathetic. Racist too. Oh, my! We can't have that, can we?

[panamania79 2]

zomg mexico hates brown people!

[peejay 327]

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

Edited October 21, 2008 by peejay

[panamania79 2]

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

Cubans send money back home if they have relatives there.

[natty bumppo 297]

Believe it or not,Mexico has strict immigration laws.

Cool ... the US should adopt Mexico's immigration enforcement policy and procedures ... complete from capture to deportation ...

After all ...what Mexico does to illegals ... should apply equally to Mexican illegals caught in the US ...

[mawilson 2,133]

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

I'm sure it also pisses them off that unlike Mexicans, Cubans only have to step on U.S. soil

and request political asylum to become legal immigrants.

[natty bumppo 297]

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

I'm sure it also pisses them off that unlike Mexicans, Cubans only have to step on U.S. soil

and request political asylum to become legal immigrants.

let Mexicans be treated like the treat others .....

[Laveau 67]

zomg mexico hates brown people!

Rite???!!!! Dang. I RARELY post but that was HILARIOUS!

[dalegg 143]

I'm sure it also pisses them off that unlike Mexicans, Cubans only have to step on U.S. soil

and request political asylum to become legal immigrants.

That's it. We need to get friendly with Cuba again so we can deport them.

[peejay 327]

I'm sure it also pisses them off that unlike Mexicans, Cubans only have to step on U.S. soil

and request political asylum to become legal immigrants.

That's it. We need to get friendly with Cuba again so we can deport them.

Yeah, right. Just like we deport all the millions of Mexican illegal aliens we are stuck with.

[HAL 9000 96]

zomg mexico hates brown people!

Oyeme chiquitica... cómo es eso que nos dicen morenicos?? ¡Cosa más grande en la vida no hay caballero!

(Some Cubans are known for saying they're not exactly the shade of brown they are.)

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

They send what they can. There is a little Cold War thing called the embargo that you're missing in your amazing analysis.

Take a trip to Miami, perhaps you'll be changing your tune to hate Cubans as well.

Or maybe its that they aren't as pro-illegal as you say, peejay.

Besides, Cubans should already know that as long as they step on dry land here in the States, then they're generally OK as far as immigration is concerned.

Cuban's don't send billions in remittances back to Mexico either, do they? They end up taking US jobs that rightfully belong to Mexican illegal aliens too. They don't want foreigners cutting in on their racket.

Get real...they are pro-illegal as long as it is Mexican illegal.

I'm sure it also pisses them off that unlike Mexicans, Cubans only have to step on U.S. soil

and request political asylum to become legal immigrants.

Well, them say that all immigration laws should be applicable and enforced equally. Even with a Cold War that is still alive for some.