The Mexican government is distributing over 1.5 million free
books with advice for migrants crossing illegally into the U.S.. Some of the tips may
encourage illegal border crossers.
The 32-page book, The Guide for the Mexican Migrant, was published in by Mexico's Foreign
Ministry. Using simple language, the book offers safety information for border crossers, a
primer on their legal rights and advice on living without being noticed in the United
States.
The book says, "This guide is intended to give you some practical advice that could
be of use if you have made the difficult decision to seek new work opportunities outside
your country."
Rick Oltman, Western field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
"This is so transparent, this is the Mexican government trying to protect its most
valuable export, which is illegal migrants."
The book is being distributed as a free supplement to El Libro Vaquero, a popular cowboy
comic book, in five Mexican states that send many migrants to the United States:
Zacatecas, Michoacán, Puebla, Oaxaca and Jalisco. The government printed 1.5 million
copies.
The book comes with a yellow disclaimer saying it does not promote undocumented
immigration, and it repeatedly warns against crossing illegally. But it gives no
information about the steps for seeking a U.S. visa.
Instead, it offers frank safety tips. In the section on crossing rivers, it notes,
"Thick clothing increases your weight when wet, and this makes it difficult to swim
or float."
On crossing the desert, it says, "Try to walk during times when the heat is not as
intense" and says migrants should follow power lines or train tracks if they get
lost.
The book warns migrants that they may have to walk for days to reach towns or roads in the
desert and that they will not be able to carry enough water or food.
But it also shows a woman adding salt to a water bottle and advises, "Salt water
helps you retain your body's liquids. Although you'll feel thirstier, if you drink water
with salt the risk of dehydration is much lower."
Mexican authorities say they're just trying to keep migrants safe.
Immigration-control groups said some of the advice goes beyond protecting migrants and,
instead, encourages them.
John Vincent, editor of a newsletter published by Virginia-based Americans for Immigration
Control says, "It really looks like the Mexican government is encouraging illegal
immigration. It shows the contempt that the Mexican government has for our laws."
The Mexican government produces a similar book aimed at Central American immigrants who
try to enter Mexico illegally. The book covers much of the same information about legal
rights and repeats many of the warnings. It even shows a group of migrants struggling to
breathe inside a truck.
But that book doesn't give the same kind of safety tips on crossing the border or advise
immigrants on how to live peacefully in Mexico. |
