Summary of International Seminar on Migration and Public Policy: Towards a Fair and Humane Immigration Reform

El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in collaboration with the California-Mexico Studies Center (CMSC), hosted on November 17, 2016 the International Seminar on Migration and Public Policy: "Challenges Facing Immigrants in the United States and Mexico in 2017", at the COLEF campus in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

The seminar focused upon issues pertaining to the current post-election immigration climate, the future of Dreamers on both sides of the border, the role of higher education institutions relative to policy studies and research, and other topics regarding immigration between both nations, such as U.S. citizen children exiled in Mexico and Central America, and deported veterans and mothers of U.S. citizens.

 

Aimed at analyzing the immigration implications of change in a new U.S. administration, the seminar produced an interesting exchange of ideas and proposals among academics, migrants, activists and public officials.

 

The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. Aracely Almaraz, Director General of Education at COLEF, who offered a warm and intellectual welcome to more than 100 participants. Almaraz acknowledged the importance of events of this type and hoped that from the forum emerged reflections that help to respond to the critical moment of crisis facing immigrants in the U.S. and Mexico.

 

During his opening remarks, Professor Armando V á zquez- R amos, President of the CMSC and co-organizer of the event, denounced that "Obama's administration has deported almost 3 million immigrants during the last 8 years, but 96% of whom have been Latinos," which is equivalent to almost two million Mexicans and another half a million Central Americans, he said. 

I would like to express my gratitude to those responsible for organizing this event - the California Mexico Studies Center led by Professor Armando Vazquez-Ramos and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (the College of the Northern Border) hosted by Dr. Rodrigo Aguilar-Zepeda, and the other sponsoring organizations.  It appears that we are barely waking up from the shock that we suffered from the unexpected election results in the United States in which Donald Trump prevailed as president-elect. He will assume the position officially on January 20 th of next year.

To read the full keynote presentation by Nativo Lopez in both English and Spanish, please click here.

La conferencia magistral del seminario ofreció una perspectiva binacional sobre las repercusiones del triunfo de Donald Trump como presidente electo.

Para leer el resumen completo, haz click aquí.

La posición de México

Las élites políticas, económicas y sociales mexicanas, así como los medios de comunicación, analistas y académicos eran "Hillaristas".  Al igual que en Estados Unidos, el establishment mexicano tomó posición en contra de Trump.

Públicamente esas élites se rasgaban las vestiduras por las amenazas que hacía Trump a México y sus migrantes: construir un muro en la frontera que México pagaría, y deportar a los millones de indocumentadas/os que trabajaban en Estados Unidos.

En realidad las élites mexicanas manifestaban su hipocresía. ¿Dónde estaban cuando Bill Clinton inició la construcción del muro, o el "cierre" de la frontera, en 1994, lo que ha ocasionado desde entonces la muerte de más de 7,000 mujeres, hombres, niñas y niños migrantes? ¿Dónde andaban esas élites cuando el Capitolio, con la anuencia de Clinton, aprobó la ley de migración de 1996, la que criminalizó a las/os sin papeles, y estableció, entre otras cosas, que policías estatales y locales podrían colaborar con las autoridades migratorias pidiendo a sospechosas/os sus documentos de residencia o ciudadanía, o de lo contrario detenerlos y entregarlos a la migra? Ley ésta que dio origen a fanáticos xenófobos como el alguacil Joe Arpaio, y a leyes anti migrantes como la SB1070 de Arizona...  Leer Reflexion Completa