Whatever the chances for some sort of "immigration reform," one of the areas I have not kept up on, various issues need to be kept in mind to truly understand the issue. Democracy Now! had this report today:
A new report by the Mexican government has found the death toll from the so-called drug war is much higher than previously thought. Nearly 23,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since a US-backed military crackdown on cartels began more than three years ago. The report said 2009 was the deadliest year in the drug war, with over 9,600 people killed. The death toll is on track to be even higher in 2010 with more than 3,300 people in the first three months of this year alone. We speak to reporter Charles Bowden, author of Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields.
Powerful stuff. Amazing how little attention this is getting even when workers at our consulate are killed in broad daylight.
One point made was that of the top three sources of income, one was illegal (drugs), one was on the way out (oil) and a third was money sent back (directly) from mostly illegal workers in the U.S. Workers largely there for two basic reasons: we need/want their labor (cf. slave labor -- the "need" is a matter of choice in both cases) and current policies -- including NAFTA -- drives people away from the country.
The author notes that one aspect of sound immigration policy is recognizing this fact. As with proper control of corporations and protections of basic things like health care in our own country, the will is not quite there. One more reason why true immigration reform is so hard, no matter what is done around the edges.