Report: Thousands of migrants kidnapped in Mexico

Most of the time, the discussion of Mexico and immigration centers on migrants crossing its shared northern border with the U.S. Yet it’s worth noting that the country’s lengthy southern border is also a gateway for migrants.

An estimated 500,000 Central Americans cross the border yearly and either settle in Mexico or attempt trek hundreds of miles to the U.S. Despite the weakened global economy, abuses by Mexican security officers and drug-related violence, the numbers of migrants entering Mexico illegally continues to grow.

A report released this week by Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) highlighted the dangers faced by Central American migrants. 9758 of them have been kidnapped between September and February according to the NHRC, often by drug gangs though sometimes corrupt officials are involved. The study added that the average ransom was about $2500 per person and that 70% of those abducted were Hondurans.

The NHRC report portrayed a chilling picture of how no migrant is safe from the hands of kidnappers:

"The kidnapping of migrants has become a constant practice, on a worrying scale, generally unpunished and with characteristics of extreme cruelty," said the commission's head, Jose Luis Soberanes, on presenting the report…

Fifty nine minors and 157 women were among those abducted, including four pregnant women, of which two were killed, it said.

Many were also raped, the report said, underlining the lack of official figures on the issue and slamming the "inefficiency" of the justice system in preventing and investigating the cases.

Image- boston.com (“Illegal immigrants travel in a train heading north, on their way to the U.S. in Arriaga, southern Mexico, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, ABS-CBN News, AP

Report: Venezuelan “authoritarianism” threatens democracy

Venezuela, China, Iran, and Russia are four authoritarian countries who use their influence to undermine other democracies. That is the main claim made in a report released on Thursday by the Washington-based Freedom House along with U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.

According to the study, Venezuela and the other three countries “are using soft-power methods to advance their interests internationally, particularly through billions of dollars in no strings attached development aid." The report cited China’s growing economic and political influence in Latin America such as signing a loans-for-oil deal with Brazil or agreeing to a free trade deal with Peru.

The report warned of increasing ties to the Americas by Iran and singled out Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez as "a novel type of Latin American" strongman. In its analysis of the study, The Economist had this to add:

Over the past ten years, Venezuela’s aid has been comparable to China’s, though it is now falling behind. Gustavo Coronel, a critic of President Hugo Chávez, says Mr Chávez has made $43 billion worth of foreign “commitments” since 1999. Roughly $17 billion could be described as aid, including cheap oil to Cuba and cash transfers to Bolivia. The report estimates that Venezuela’s cheap-oil programme alone is worth $1.7 billion a year, though its most flamboyant feature—cheap heating oil for poor Americans—was recently scrapped. [ed. – Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the cheap oil program started again?]

Image- Cleveland.com (The Petrocaribe initiative was started by Venezuelan and provides cheap oil to several countries in the region).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AP, The Economist, Reuters

Report: ICE raids target nonviolent offenders

A report released on Wednesday by the Migration Policy Institute concluded that nearly three in four immigrants detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents were nonviolent offenders.

The study found that in 2004 teams on ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program were given a quota of nabbing 125 fugitives; yet two years later the quota skyrocketed to 1000. According to the report, this led to the increased use of raids even if those detained lacked criminal antecedents (aside from being undocumented). Some of those detained didn't even have deportation orders against them.

An ICE spokesman tried to downplay the report:

"This report seems to suggest that law enforcement should not arrest any immigration fugitive who does not have a prior criminal conviction, even though they have ignored a judge's order to leave the country," said Ivan Ortiz-Delgado, an agency spokesman. "We disagree."

Despite his best efforts, Ortiz-Delgado’s spinning of the story is off the mark. The report really suggests that ICE’s job to catch “dangerous” criminals is not working well. Immigration officials claimed that the program needed so much funding in order to nab potential terrorists. Yet the results of the program contradict such claims. Why should millions in taxpayer dollars be wasted on such an inefficient program instead of being used for meaningful, fair immigration reform?

In short, who is ICE trying to fool?

Image- ABC News
Online Sources- AP, Star-Telegram.com, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, New York Times

Report: Immigrants benefit New Jersey

The following should come as no surprise to anyone even remotely familiar with the state of New Jersey:

An analysis by the Eagleton Institute Program on Immigration and Democracy says that New Jersey's 1.7 million foreign-born population has no negative impact on the Garden State's economy overall.

Immigrants account for 20 percent of the state's population, but make up a higher percentage of the work force because more of them are of working age…

The study finds immigrants contributing at both the highest and lowest ends of the economic spectrum. The foreign-born account for 40 percent of all advanced degree holders in New Jersey, and immigrants also occupy some of the lowest-earning jobs in the state.

One of the reports co-authors observed that “it's impossible to imagine our economy functioning without them” though warned that the report’s results shouldn’t be extrapolated to represent national immigration figures. Yet one advocate observed that the report overturns false myths on immigrants like “they get a free ride, free education, they don’t pay taxes, they don't do anything except take out of our economy.”

The report comes on the heels of a statewide immigration crackdown which, according to this New York Times editorial, has led to numerous abuses.

Image- daylife.com (“Alexander Alaca holds an U.S. flag and a sign calling for immigration reform as he marches with others to an immigration rally in Jersey City, N.J., Tuesday, May 1, 2007.”)
Online Sources- nj.com, newsday.com, New York Times

U.N.: 1.7 million LatAm AIDS cases

A UNAIDS report released today showed that AIDS fatalities decreased in 2007 as prevention programs have worked in some countries and more drugs have been distributed to keep HIV in check. UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot said that the report represents “the most positive” study on the pandemic by the agency as the number of AIDS deaths worldwide decreased for the second straight year.

Not all was good news in the UNAIDS report; despite praising prevention plans in countries like Chile and Brazil, Latin America had more HIV infections (1.7 million) than any other region except southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the study found that:

• 40% of those infected in Latin America come from Brazil
• Over half of Mexicans infected with HIV got it through unprotected male sex
• HIV is typically spread through some Central American countries via intercourse with sex workers
• An estimated two-thirds of AIDS cases in Uruguay came about from unprotected sex

Though the percentage of people worldwide with AIDS has been roughly the same since 2000, Piot warned that “short-term gains should serve as a platform for reinvigorating combination HIV prevention and treatment efforts and not spur complacency.”

The report was publicized in anticipation of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City which starts next Monday.

Image- Guardian UK (“Drugs to suppress the HIV virus and prevent full-blown Aids have been rolled out in Africa and Asia and 3 million people are now surviving who would have died.”)

Sources (English)- AFP, Bloomberg, Monsters & Critics, Reuters UK, BBC News

Sources (Spanish)- La Nación

Report: Hate crimes vs. Latinos increased

A study released today by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) alleged that anti-immigrant sentiment has been the catalyst behind an increase in hate crimes against Latinos. The report called “The Year in Hate” cited FBI data stating that 819 people were targets of anti-Latino crime in 2006, compared with 595 in 2003. According to an SPLC spokesman and as quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"The immigration debate has turned the climate of this country into something very nasty," [Mark] Potok said. "A lot of this is due to the vile propaganda coming out of these hate groups…"

“If it were merely the groups in a corner by themselves it wouldn't be worrying," Potok said. "But now the propaganda is being circulated by the mainstream media."

Potok said conspiracy theories by the groups have been picked up and given validation by CNN and some national politicians.

Among the worst offenders, Potok said, are CNN's Lou Dobbs and Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa).

One of the “hate groups” targeted by the SPLC’s report- the Federation
for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)- responded in a statement. 
A FAIR spokesman criticized the study’s methodology and accused the
SPLC of representing “self-serving political interests.”  

Sources- Philadelphia Inquirer, prnewswire.com, SPLCenter.org, Associated Press

Image- tolerance.org