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 News from Around the Americas | February 2007 
Border Issues Top N. American Agenda
 Matthew Lee - Associated Press
| | The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters, center, accompanied by Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transportation Luis Tellez, second from left, watches a truck inspection in the city of Apodaca, northern Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007. U.S. safety inspectors will be allowed to examine trucks on Mexican soil before they cross the border into the United States under a program announced by Secretary Peters that could end a seven-year trade dispute in order to remove the last barrier to the long-delayed opening of U.S. highways to Mexican truckers. (AP/Monica Rueda) |
Senior officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico opened talks Friday to hash out ways to thwart cross-border security threats, cope with a potential bird flu outbreak and boost North American trade.
With growing Mexican and Canadian concerns about U.S. border restrictions imposed since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez were meeting their counterparts from the two countries to consider cooperation on the issues.
Hosted by Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, the gathering of the two-year-old Security and Prosperity Partnership is expected to result in recommendations for President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon to consider at a summit later this year in Canada.
Neither Rice, MacKay or Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa made any public comment as they entered the talks at the Canadian foreign ministry where a small group of anti-U.S. protesters huddled outside in freezing temperatures.
The officials were also meeting with the North American Competitiveness Council — a group of business leaders — to hear suggestions on protecting thriving flows of commerce and people that some fear may be crippled by U.S. border restrictions.
With a combined gross domestic product of $15 trillion — overwhelmingly from the U.S. — the three nations exchange goods and services worth nearly $1 trillion and see about 500 million legal border crossings a year, U.S. statistics indicate.
The value of U.S. exports to Canada over a single bridge — the Ambassador linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — is greater than that of U.S. exports to Japan, they show.
Friday's meeting follows Chertoff's announcement Thursday that children will be exempt from new rules requiring travelers to show passports when entering the U.S. at land or sea borders.
Border Leaders Push for Open Trade, Fair Treatment
David McLemore - Dallas Morning News
Laredo – Border mayors and other leaders who gathered for a meeting here Wednesday with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said they want a more open border that allows for the flow of free trade and provides equitable treatment of south-of-the-border citizens.
And they received Mr. Chertoff's message that he would continue to push for a balanced, measured approach to border security with hopeful skepticism.
"He came with assurances that Washington wanted a more flexible approach and promised to get more input from officials and business people along the border in order to balance security with economic concerns," said Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas III. "I'd have to say there was a lot of skepticism in the room. We've all heard this before."
Mr. Chertoff was in Laredo at the request of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for a meeting with seven border mayors, several county officials and two Laredo business leaders to reiterate his goal for a more balanced security effort – one that combines more boots on the ground with local input – while protecting the region's significant economic lifeline with Mexico.
The proposed construction of hundreds of miles of security fence along the border remains the biggest concern for border officials.
As a backdrop to Wednesday's meeting at Customs and Border Enforcement headquarters, northbound traffic stalled for hours on the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge, backing up into Nuevo Laredo.
The proof will be the doing, said Dennis Nixon, chairman of Laredo's International Bank of Commerce and one of the two business leaders allowed to join the meeting.
"What Washington has to realize is that the border in Texas ... is like crossing the street," Mr. Nixon said. "I'm always skeptical when they tell us things will improve. We've been waiting 35 years for that."
"Mr. Chertoff is a smart, common-sense guy, but even he is just starting to realize that passport requirements and more restrictive entry requirements for Mexican citizens won't work on the border."
The visit marked Mr. Chertoff's second meeting with border officials, a follow-up to a similar meeting in Washington last month held by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
"I'm here to get the benefit of people in local government on how best to find the flexibility we need," Mr. Chertoff said. "We want the right set of tactics at the border, something that fits the locale and the geography."
Mr. Chertoff stressed that he didn't believe a security fence was appropriate for all parts of the border. But though funds haven't been approved to build a fence, the law still requires that a fence be built.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said he would work in Congress to try to provide that flexibility, but added that "it's important for them [Homeland Security] to continue to get input from the local mayors, the border patrol on the ground as well as the farmers and the ranchers."
Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said he is grateful that Washington is listening.
"It's good that the secretary is better aware of the differences between the border in Texas and elsewhere," he said. "Each day, hundreds of cars come north, bringing people legally into the U.S. to shop or visit friends. A fence or overly stringent entry requirements would send the wrong message to our neighbors to the south."
Security fence
Last fall, Congress celebrated passage of legislation that authorized construction of 850 miles of security fence as a get-tough measure to curtail illegal immigration, though the $2.1 billion needed – later estimated at more than $60 billion over 25 years – has not been appropriated.
Officials along the Texas border largely bristled at the fence proposal as unworkable along the Rio Grande and another example of Washington imposing immigration security measures without talking with the locals first.
"If there's a message we want to get across, it's that we don't want a wall," said Judge Salinas of Hidalgo County. "We want equity for the southern border. No one is opposed to a more secure border, but people should remember that the terrorists came in from Canada, not Mexico. And we don't think it's too much to ask that we have security without destroying our border economy."
Under provisions of the new US VISIT entry system that went into effect last year, Canadian visitors may enter for six months, while Mexican visitors can stay 30 days.
Mr. Chertoff said that Homeland Security had launched a new redress program that should make it easier to resolve watch list misidentifications and other related problems.
It is part of an effort, he said, to make travel more efficient and secure.
Mr. Cornyn introduced legislation permitting laser visa holders – temporary, fully-screened travelers from Mexico – to stay in the U.S. up to six months.
dmclemore@dallasnews.com |
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